Japan.
A five-star hotel at the foot of Mount Fuji.
This was a property of the Morita family, and it was also the best place for many Japanese conglomerates to entertain distinguished guests. Its location offered a panoramic view of Mount Fuji, with the beautiful scenery fully in sight.
The office.
Morita Sho sat on his chair, facing Miyamoto Ze, who had lost to Ting Yu in the "Era Music King" competition.
Miyamoto Ze lowered his head, remaining silent.
The atmosphere in the room was tense.
"It's not your fault this time."
Finally, Morita Sho took a deep breath and spoke.
Upon hearing his words, Miyamoto Ze's taut body visibly relaxed.
"I was inferior in skill and have failed to live up to Mr. Morita's cultivation!"
As Japan's most formidable producer, Miyamoto Ze knew that despite Morita Sho's generally good treatment, he was not a kind person. Before this competition, the latter had offered him very high compensation, even promising to marry his daughter to him.
However, this was only contingent upon him winning the competition; otherwise, he would not have such value.
Now that he had lost, Miyamoto Ze's value in Morita Sho's eyes had greatly diminished. The fact that the latter hadn't sought trouble with him was already a sign of considerable leniency.
"The matter is settled, Mr. Miyamoto. There's no need to say more. I hope you will work hard in the upcoming competitions," Morita Sho said, shaking his head.
This competition had made him thoroughly recognize Ting Yu's value, and he had also discovered that his daughter, Morita Yumi, had excellent taste.
For businessmen, profit always came first. As long as there was value, there was no such thing as an adversarial relationship. Even if Ting Yu was just a Chinese person, he could still write Japanese songs, and even better than Miyamoto Ze.
This alone was enough for Morita Sho to want to talk to Ting Yu.
"Mr. Morita, rest assured, I will definitely work hard in the subsequent matches!" Miyamoto Ze quickly replied, then hesitated as if to say more.
He wanted to ask if he still had a chance with Morita Yumi, but after a moment's thought, he held back from speaking.
Just then.
The office door was knocked.
Morita Yumi entered.
"Father, Mr. Ting Yu has arrived," Morita Yumi said softly.
"Alright, you two go down first. I'll be there shortly." Morita Sho's face immediately lit up with a smile.
Miyamoto Ze, hearing this and looking at Morita Sho's smile, was dumbfounded.
He knew very well that this was the kind of smile Morita Sho used to show him.
No!
He had actually arranged to meet Ting Yu?
"Mr. Morita!" Miyamoto Ze was not foolish; he could guess the reason behind it.
"Heh heh, Mr. Miyamoto, don't overthink it. I just feel this young man has some talent, so I wanted to discuss the 'Ninja' project with him," Morita Sho said with a smile.
He didn't hide anything because doing so would put more pressure on Miyamoto Ze and reduce Miyamoto Ze's bargaining chip. Niwei Entertainment wasn't solely reliant on Miyamoto Ze.
Miyamoto Ze, upon hearing this, froze on the spot.
The anime "Ninja" was the company's most valued project at this stage. It had been in preparation for two years and was nearing its release. However, during this period, Miyamoto Ze had been busy with the "Era Music King" competition and had not yet written the theme song.
Thinking of this, Miyamoto Ze suddenly realized.
This was his project, and they were changing personnel so readily, and to a Chinese person at that?
He found it hard to accept: "I've been following this project for a long time..."
Morita Sho chuckled and retorted, "Having an extra option is always good, don't you think, Mr. Miyamoto?"
Miyamoto Ze lowered his head, his tone filled with confidence, "Mr. Morita, please decide as you see fit. However, I have researched this project extensively and have many insights."
"Mr. Miyamoto wants to come along?"
"Of course."
Morita Sho remained silent for a few seconds, then suddenly smiled, "Alright, let's go together."
Upon receiving this reply, Miyamoto Ze slowly raised his head.
A hint of joy flashed in his eyes. It seemed Mr. Morita hadn't completely given up on him.
He had almost finished the theme song and had been using the excuse of being busy to delay, simply wanting more leverage. Therefore, how could he allow Ting Yu to snatch it away?
...
The hotel restaurant was decorated in a very traditional Japanese style.
Su Yu was led to the restaurant by a waiter. Only Morita Yui was in the restaurant.
"Jiang... Mr. Ting Yu, you're here. Please come and sit!" Seeing Su Yu arrive, she quickly stood up to greet him.
"You didn't reveal my identity to anyone else?" Su Yu asked, raising his eyebrows in surprise.
After all, Morita Yui had consistently called him Jiang Nan before.
"I only told my sister, you know. After all, she likes you so much. This is our little secret," Morita Yui said, winking playfully.
Su Yu smiled wryly and shook his head, "I'm sorry, this isn't a secret. Many of my friends already know."
"Mr. Ting Yu lacks romantic flair," Morita Yui pouted.
She had intended to tease him with this topic, but Su Yu had directly killed the conversation.
Just as Morita Yui was about to find another topic,
The restaurant door opened, and Morita Sho entered, accompanied by Morita Yumi and Miyamoto Ze.
"Hahaha, I've seen Mr. Ting Yu on television so many times, I didn't expect the real person to be even more handsome than on screen," Morita Sho said with a casual smile.
Su Yu waved his hand and said with a half-smile, "Let's just talk about cooperation and don't try to get too chummy. After all, I didn't expect the cheers from the audience that day to just pass by like this."
Morita Sho was slightly taken aback, then awkwardly rubbed his hands. "Japanese audiences are just like that; they like to make random noise. I felt sorry for you, Mr. Ting Yu, at the time watching the show. You could have performed even better."
Su Yu continued to look at him with a half-smile, not engaging further.
The situation became somewhat awkward.
However, Miyamoto Ze was inwardly overjoyed.
So it wasn't as bad as he had imagined. There was a rift between Ting Yu and Morita Sho, leaving room for maneuver.
"Father, Mr. Ting Yu, let's sit down and chat," Morita Yui, sensing the awkward atmosphere, quickly interjected to change the subject.
Su Yu, realizing it was appropriate to stop, nodded and, led by Morita Yui, moved to his seat.
The most important thing in cooperation is leverage. Su Yu had leverage and had nothing to fear. This initial show of dominance was intended to give him more control later.
Morita Sho naturally understood Su Yu's intentions but wasn't displeased. Instead, he inwardly held Su Yu in higher regard.
Morita Sho wasn't surprised that Su Yu knew he was behind the audience's reaction at the show. What surprised him was Su Yu's attitude.
If it were any other young person, knowing that he had been schemed against by the show's producer, they would surely have been furious and accused him directly. But Ting Yu hadn't; he had merely mentioned it lightly.
"This little fox!" Morita Sho suddenly felt that Ting Yu was not simple at all.
After the few of them were seated.
The waiters began serving a series of rich dishes.
Su Yu had Morita Yui on his left and Morita Yumi on his right. Miyamoto Ze originally wanted to sit with Morita Yumi, but after a glare from Morita Sho, he reluctantly sat next to Morita Sho.