National Tide 1980

After completing the legal procedures for the acquisition of Jinniu Palace and settling Utsui Ken and Miura Tomokazu, it was already mid-September.

Unfortunately, although Ning Weimin himself was quite high-spirited about the current situation and was very happy about the agency contracts of several famous actors.

But except for Matsumoto Keiko who believed in his actions, other people in Mist Studio and Matsumoto Office had completely opposite feelings about the current situation.

Everyone only saw Ning Weimin desperately borrowing money for Matsumoto Keiko and spending a lot of money, but the actual problem of the company being oppressed and attacked by foreign enemies was not solved at all, and it has been passively beaten.

In particular, the resignation of Sawaguchi Yasuko, one of the leading actors of the "Black Leather Notebook" crew, who played Bozi, caused a great blow to the morale of the staff of Mist Studio and Matsumoto Office.

For this matter, Toho Entertainment called Mist Studio to explain that everything was done by the Burning Department.

The stubborn Sawaguchi Yasuko even paid 30 million yen to terminate her contract with Toho Entertainment, and they had no choice.

Immediately afterwards, some tabloids published the news that Sawaguchi Yasuko signed with Suho Ikuo Entertainment Agency.

It is easy to imagine that it is likely that Sawaguchi Yasuko's termination fee was paid by Suho Ikuo.

So Ning Weimin, considering that Toho is also a film studio, did not even ask for the actor's breach of contract compensation in the end, and only took back the film salary and signing fee.

No matter how you think about this matter, it is really pathetic.

In addition, the key is that there has not been much growth in operating income, which is the most worrying thing.

That's right, although the movie "Li Xianglan" has achieved great success, the video tapes and music albums have also been sold well.

Mist Studio has recovered nearly 2.2 billion yen through this movie, and it has made a lot of money.

But because the movie was taken off the theaters half a year ago, the popularity of the movie is inevitably gradually dissipating, resulting in a simultaneous decrease in subsequent revenue.

At present, the income that Mist Studio and Matsumoto Office are still receiving is not worth mentioning, except for the GG endorsement fee of about 20 million yen from Pierre Cardin and Dangu Restaurant that Matsumoto Keiko can get immediately every quarter.

Regarding the copyright fees for the "Li Xianglan" video tape and music album, only 3 to 4 million yen can be received every month, and it will only get less and less, so there is no hope at all.

The music tape of the TV series "Dream of Red Mansions" co-published by Ning Weimin and Jinniushan has been growing with the expansion of fans of "Dream of Red Mansions".

But after all, it is a niche hobby, and the sales growth rate is not fast, which can only bring about 2 million yen in profit every month.

And even this money will be gone in the future because of the merger of Jinniu Palace.

According to Ning Weimin's request, the business of introducing Chinese music albums in the future will all be represented by Jinniu Palace, and let Funaki Minoru be responsible, so naturally the future profits will fall into the account of Jinniu Palace.

In short, with this much income, it will only be enough to pay the staff of Kiri Studio and Matsumoto Office. It is better than nothing.

So as a financial supervisor, from the perspective of Watabe Mitsuru, the current situation of Kiri Studio and Matsumoto Office is quite bad. They are completely out of money and living beyond their means.

But Ning Weimin is particularly active in the matter of loans.

As a result, the only thing that continues to grow on the accounts every day is the increasingly heavy debt burden and the increasing monthly loan interest that needs to be paid to the bank.

Just looking at the asset accounts of Kiri Studio and Matsumoto Office, the debt ratio has reached nearly 300%.

The interest that needs to be borne every month is 50 million yen, which greatly exceeds the income.

This is an extreme case that has never been heard of for both the studio and the entertainment agency, which can make people worry to death.

So no one can be more panicked than Watabe Mitsuru. He is trembling every day when he comes to work, for fear that Ning Weimin will mortgage something again and find a bank to increase the loan.

Of course, it's not that he doesn't believe in Ning Weimin's ability to make money.

After all, Ning Weimin used the method of making money out of nothing, relying on debt to invest in the stock market to exchange for Matsumoto Keiko's Kirigami Studio, Kurosawa Akira and Mifune Toshiro's studio.

Watabe Mitsuru was full of admiration for this move, and even followed Ning Weimin to buy some stocks and made a small fortune.

In addition, it's not that he doesn't believe in Ning Weimin's character.

Just look at the film library that Ning Weimin bought from Europe, the shares of Saint Laurent in France, and the shares of Taurus Records, all of which are recorded in Matsumoto Keiko's name.

He knows how much Ning Weimin loves his wife, and he treats Matsumoto Keiko sincerely.

But the problem is that Watabe Mitsuru's heart can only bear a limited amount.

This time, Ning Weimin loaned tens of billions of yen for Matsumoto Keiko, and the amount of funds hoarded is really too scary.

The pressure is all on the accounts in Japan, but they don't tell Watabe Mitsuru how to earn interest on these funds, just let him wait patiently.

And Watabe Mitsuru has no control over those overseas assets.

So this game is too exciting for Watabe Mitsuru.

He always can't help but worry that Ning Weimin will make a mistake and encounter an accident that he can't control, resulting in a complete loss.

So, he is now nervous and depressed every day, and he is increasingly doubting whether he can still be competent for his current position.

It is estimated that if he spends the first half of the year in this fear of the future, he will definitely suffer from mental illness.

It is also possible that he lost his life directly because he could not bear this kind of suffering.

Then who should I complain to at that time?

Therefore, there is only one way to relieve his fearful pain, which is to at least let him see that Wu Studio's work is back on track, and there is at least hope that these loans can be paid off, so that he can live a solid life again.

As for the director of Fog Studio, Akira Okamoto, and the director of "Black Leather Notepad", Yoshitaro Nomura, they are similar to Mitsuru Watanabe, and are now also worried about the poor situation of Fog Studio.

The cast issue of the "Black Leather Notepad" crew has still not been resolved, which has become the most difficult problem facing them.

Obviously, the announcement of re-recruiting roles has been issued for a long time, but apart from Shochiku Pictures sending a few actors who are not very famous to apply, and a few newcomers who dream of being actors but lack acting experience, come to the door and recommend themselves, No one came to audition anymore.

They all know that under this situation, even if it takes another year, it will be impossible to find a suitable actor.

So can they not be worried?

The two of them were almost too worried to eat or sleep.

But it doesn't matter, the good thing is that Ning Weimin knows the reasons for this situation better than anyone else.

Don't look at the fact that he has been letting things develop out of control and seems to have no ability to fight back. That's because he is a person who likes to make decisions later. He can't do everything according to the rhythm of his opponent, only then will he get what his opponent wants.

The real counterattack can't be launched until he is ready.

Besides, there are some things that he really doesn't care about.

For example, those who followed the instructions of Ikuo Suho and attacked Fog Studios all day long and spread nonsense.

The harder those people brag for Zhou Fangyuxiong now, the more painful the slap in the face will be in the future.

Also, that "little buck-toothed" Yasuko Sawaguchi can just leave if he wants, and Ning Weimin really doesn't care.

This idiot, incited by Ikuo Suho, went so far as to offend Toho Entertainment in order to resign.

Does this mean you really don’t take the “Big Five” seriously, or do you despise your own longevity?

I'm afraid he doesn't need to take action in this matter. In the future, Dongbao will have to find an opportunity to deal with this white-eyed wolf who dares to betray him.

Still want to be popular?

Just wait and eat shit.

But on the contrary, many unexpected situations require him to make arrangements one by one.

For example, accepting Utsui Takeru and Miura Tomokazu.

Also, after acquiring Taurus Palace, how to integrate the business of Taurus Palace and arrange Teresa Teng’s treatment well?

Because if you want to fight against the outside world, you must first calm down the inside. Only by having a stable rear area can Ning Weimin concentrate on dealing with external enemies.

No, now that he has almost done everything he needs to do, it is time for him to personally troubleshoot the problem of restarting "Black Leather Notepad".

On September 17, 1987, Ning Weimin held a production meeting at Matsumoto Office in the name of Matsumoto Keiko to discuss issues related to the casting of the "Black Leather Notepad" crew.

Needless to say, financial supervisor Mitsuru Watanabe, producer Akira Okamoto, screenwriter Shinobu Hashimoto, director Yoshitaro Nomura, assistant director and executive director are all people who must be present.

Even the two main actors of this drama, Ken Utsui and Tomokazu Miura, who had just joined Fog Productions, were invited and came here on time to participate in the meeting that day.

But before the meeting started, no one was in the mood to exchange pleasantries.

All had frowning and solemn expressions, and some even smoked cigarettes and let out soft lamentations.

For no other reason than because this drama carries the hopes of many people, but given the current situation, it is really not optimistic, and everyone feels an invisible pressure.

However, what is absolutely unexpected is that for such an important meeting, a sign saying "No unauthorized persons allowed to enter" was hung outside the door in advance.

But the two main characters, Ning Weimin and Matsumoto Keiko, were not only ten minutes late, but they also brought a person who no one expected to appear here - Matsumoto Seicho.

"Sorry, I'm a little late. I kept everyone waiting."

"Oh, sorry, everyone came on time."

I saw that in the conference room of about 20 square meters, all the main members of today's meeting were already here.

Matsumoto Keiko and Ning Weimin quickly apologized to everyone as soon as they came in.

But don't mention it, not only do they have a good attitude, but they are also excused for being late.

Because Matsumoto Seicho, who is over 70 years old, immediately declared on the spot, "Don't be offended, I am an old man who was delayed today. If I hadn't suddenly remembered that I forgot the medicine I had to carry with me at home, I would have had to go back. We won't be so late. Sorry, it's my fault for wasting everyone's time. I hope you don't mind."

In this way, not to mention that these people did not dare to be dissatisfied with their bosses in the first place, but now they have completely eliminated their grudges for this legitimate reason. Everyone kindly said "It doesn't matter" or "You're too You’re welcome.”

However, everyone is inevitably curious as to why Matsumoto Seicho appeared here today.

Yes, the drama "Black Leather Notepad" is adapted from Matsumoto Seicho's novel of the same name. It stands to reason that the author is indeed qualified to participate in discussions at the production meeting.

But in that case, usually before the script is finalized, the crew seeks the author's opinion for the adaptation of the script.

The current script was created by Shinobu Hashimoto from beginning to end in accordance with Ning Weimin's requirements.

In order to bring novel readers a fresher experience, and also to be more relevant to the current social environment where people are obsessed with life, money, money, and bubbles.

Based on some suggestions put forward by Ning Weimin, Shinobu Hashimoto made relatively big changes to the final ending.

The script he completed did not follow the original work, and gave the heroine Motoko Haraguchi, played by Keiko Matsumoto, the saddest end - the people who had been blackmailed by him got together to take revenge. Not only did they go bankrupt, but they also lost their money. The children are gone too.

But they are all evil people, and no one has a good ending.

Motoko Haraguchi, who was good at blackmailing others, was imprisoned because she secretly fell in love with Yasushima, a congressman who had to respect political marriage. As a result, Yasushima's political opponents discovered the clues and finally exposed their insider trading and criminal evidence.

But that's not the real end.

The real ending was that many years later, after being released from prison, Haraguchi Motoko came to a nightclub in Roppongi and tried to rise again by working as a female publicist with more skill and experience.

She vowed to return to Ginza and take back her nightclub.

To put it bluntly, what Matsumoto Seicho’s story mainly wants to express is that “uncontrolled greed will eventually leave people with nothing.”

The core content of Shinobu Hashimoto's script focuses more on retribution and karma, and the principle of the mantis stalking the cicada and the oriole behind.

As for the final ending design, it is to give more relief to those who like happy endings.

Strictly speaking, the core ideas expressed in the novel and the TV series are no longer the same.

And the casting process has already begun. Under such circumstances, and such an old Matsumoto Seicho is invited here, the first instinct of the crew members is to change the script?

Is it necessary to eliminate many main characters because of the current difficulties in casting?

As a result, everyone looked confused and worried. A shadow of something bad happened unknowingly passed over everyone's face, and they were all afraid that Ning Weimin was about to say something shocking.

Among them, screenwriter Shinobu Hashimoto and director Yoshitaro Nomura are particularly worried.

Because if that were the case, the chances of the drama going through such a transformation would double. They didn’t want to risk their reputation at the end of the season.

But it is strange enough to say that he and Nomura Youtarou are obviously close friends, but Matsumoto Seicho came to participate in the meeting this time, but did not even say a word to him, just smiled and looked at the strange reactions at the scene, and It's like watching the fun.

As a result, the crew couldn't hold their breath anymore, and Akira Okamoto took the initiative to reveal the scar.

"Matsumoto-san, President Ning, I want to apologize to everyone in public today for the actor recruitment. Now let me update you on the current situation. We have been recruiting actors again for more than ten days, but unfortunately, they came to apply for roles. There are not many people, most of them do not meet our requirements, there are only a few insignificant small roles, we reluctantly selected a few, and have made a list, but there are still no suitable candidates for the missing main roles..."

As he spoke, he placed some information documents in the middle of the table, "I am mainly responsible for the poor progress of this matter. But even so, I don't think it is easy to make major changes to the script. We should continue to try to Find actors through more channels, such as recommendations from people with good connections in the industry..."

Unexpectedly, as soon as he said this, he was interrupted by Matsumoto Seicho.

The old man laughed unabashedly, and then declared in a joking tone, "Okay, okay, don't get me wrong. I'm not here to make any comments on the script. The purpose of my visit today is just to Participate in the casting. Of course, according to Chairman Ning, it is also to help the show create gimmicks and increase the social attention of the show. After all, Wu Studio is my child. At this special time, I can’t just sit back and watch, I should try my best.”

It was okay if he didn't say this, but it was even more strange after he said it. Everyone seemed not to understand what he meant.

Because it stands to reason that when any drama reaches the casting stage, it is only the responsibility of the crew, and there has never been a situation where the original author interfered in such a matter.

For no other reason than because there are cost constraints in filming film and television dramas, how can every actor have to conform to the author's perception.

If this is really done, not only will the cost of the actors be difficult to control, but it may not be recognized by the audience if it is actually filmed.

After all, there are a thousand Hamlets in the hearts of a thousand people. The author and the actor may not necessarily be the image in the audience's mind.

So at this time, everyone focused their attention on the faces of Ning Weimin and Matsumoto Keiko, hoping that they could further explain everything.

However, what everyone never expected was that both of them agreed with Matsumoto Seicho's words on the spot.

"That's right, I have to work hard this time, Mr. Matsumoto. Please help select the actor who best suits your needs."

"Yes. I believe that with your approval, the characters of this drama will be more deeply rooted in people's hearts and the wonderful interpretation of the story will be realized."

Fortunately, Ning Weimin also explained it to everyone afterwards, which was a shock to everyone.

"Gentlemen, I am very aware of the casting difficulties faced by the crew recently. Faced with the pressure from the Burning Department, those entertainment agencies have ignored our needs because of fear or wanting to stay out of the matter. So we have to It’s no longer realistic to get good actors in the conventional way.”

"Therefore, I now announce that we will no longer consider price issues when selecting roles. As long as they are actors who fit the role, even if they are expensive first-line actors, we can try to hire them. Even if the shooting cost doubles, from 300 million yen It doesn't matter if it becomes 600 million yen, or even one billion yen, because only those famous actors who have become famous and have everlasting popularity are truly independent and free, and do not have to fear the pressure of the burning element, nor can they be affected. Combustion control."

"So we invited Mr. Matsumoto here this time, just to listen carefully to Mr. Matsumoto's understanding of the image of each character, and to see what actors who fit the role look like according to his vision. To put it bluntly, since it saves costs It’s no longer possible, so let’s not consider the cost and simply make this TV series a masterpiece with famous actors. At least through this method and publicity, we can also make our company famous.”

"Of course, Mr. Matsumoto himself said that he will not be blindly paranoid about roles, but will only provide personal opinions for everyone's reference. Therefore, the specific casting method is that everyone present will consider a list, and then write it out and put it on the blackboard On the list, choose the least controversial roles first, and then discuss the other controversial ones slowly. Remember, I will say it again, when writing the list of recommended actors, you must forget about the price and only consider the compatibility with the characters.”