Chapter 151:

Chapter 151:

The employees in the conference room exchanged glances, attempting to discern the meaning behind Honda's words.

However, it seemed no one grasped his intentions, and a silence lingered in the room.

"Um Vice President?" One employee, relatively closer to Honda, gathered the courage to speak. Having heard Honda's murmurs a while ago, there was no one else to turn to but him.

"What exactly does it mean to spoon-feed'?" the employee asked cautiously.

"Literally, it means spoon-feeding," Honda replied.

"So, that means"

"Ugh, fine. Do I have to spell it out for you?" Honda sighed in frustration before starting his explanation.The most uptodate novels are published on n0velbj)n((.))co/m

"As you all know, no matter how much money we have, it's never enough when it comes to creating a piece of art. So, let's invest a reasonable amount in the project, add some color to it, and secure some shares for ourselves."

"Uh"

"And considering the auditions happening in Japan, it seems the casting isn't finalized yet. With connections like Kang Jinseok, even if it's challenging for a male lead, securing a female lead or supporting roles should be a piece of cake, right?"

The employees diligently jotted down Honda's words as if determined not to miss a single detail. Whoever ended up handling this task, wanted to ensure it was done without any mistakes.

Seemingly satisfied with the sight of employees busily taking notes, Honda's irritation eased, and he spoke in a calm voice.

"First, find out the contact information for the person handling the investment or project at OS International. Since they've come to Japan, set up a meeting separately. No need to go through the hassle of finding the contact information of the person in charge."

"Yes, understood."

"It's not that difficult, so don't mess it up like an amateur. Got it?"

Honda spoke casually and then stood up, heading towards the door. Other employees followed suit, watching him leave.

"Vice President. There's something I'd like to ask."

At that moment, a cautious employee raised his hand and called out to Honda.

"What is it?"

"Earlier, you mentioned securing shares either by investing in Katahiro's film or assisting with contacts on the actor's side."

"Yes."

"But what if Katahiro or the investors reject the idea? What do we do then?"

It seemed to be a question on everyone's mind, as they all looked at Honda with curious eyes. Seeing their anticipation, Honda shrugged.

"Surely, that won't happen, right? I've never seen anyone refuse money in my life."

""

"Let's contact them now. It should work out well."

***

[We don't need money.]

Katahiro's resolute voice echoed through the speakerphone. The employees in the conference room looked at Honda with puzzled expressions.

Honda took a deep breath and said, "No. He says they don't need money"

Honda hadn't explicitly said, "Does that make sense?" but his tone carried a distinct nuance.

"If this is because of something our employees did previously, and it's affecting your mood, Director, that's not appropriate. I thought Katahiro was a professional."

[It's not about that. I genuinely don't need the money.]

"So, that makes sense"

[1 billion yen.]

"?"

[OS International, or rather, OS Entertainment, has agreed to invest 1 billion yen in my project this time. With that level of investment, why would I need more money?]

A hush fell over the conference room at the mention of 1 billion yen. If that amount was indeed being invested, then it made sense to say he didn't need more money.

[Moreover, my work is the first original project for OS Entertainment, and they probably won't even allow external investment.]

""

[Since it seems like you have nothing more to say, I'll end it here.]

"Director, just a moment. There are still things to discuss"

[Ah, Director, it's Kojo Uchida. I'm sorry to contact you like this suddenly, but it seems challenging for me to participate in the audition for your upcoming project.]

At that moment, a message arrived. Upon checking, it was one of the actors who had eagerly agreed to audition.

"Huh, actors too?"

He had been pleased when these actors accepted his audition proposal.

However, hearing that they now couldn't audition was a shock. The actor didn't provide detailed reasons, but Katahiro could guess.

"Probably for the same reasons as Shindo."

Exhaling heavily, Katahiro furrowed his brow deeply. The messages continued to flood in, each expressing an inability to audition.

"What should I do?"

No matter how much money there is, a director can't make a film alone. Even with a remarkable actor like Kang Jinseok, it's impossible to create a film with just one actor.

Fortunately, there has been no contact from Inoue, the one they are somewhat relying on after Kang Jinseok.

It's a "fortunate" situation, but only to a certain extent.

Knock, knock.

Someone knocked on the office door. Since they weren't expecting anyone today, Katahiro opened the door, curious.

"Who? Oh, Team Leader Jang Sunho."

"Sorry for coming unannounced, Director. I was planning to contact you."

"It's okay. Please, come in."

Guiding Jang Sunho inside, Katahiro tidied up his disheveled hair. As Jang Sunho sat on the sofa, Katahiro asked, "But what brings you here?"

"I wanted to inquire about the audition preparations and if there's anything I can help with. Also, I heard some strange rumors before coming."

"Strange rumors?"

"Yes. Rumors that there's someone meddling with our project."

"How?"

"I know everything about Kang Jinseok and the project because it's my job."

Though Jang Sunho spoke nonchalantly, Katahiro nodded with a sigh, indicating that the situation was troublesome.

"Hmm. It's the work of the Toho guys. They control over 40% of the Japanese film distribution, a major player in the Japanese film industry."

"Yes. So, how is Toho interfering with us?"

Katahiro explained the current situation, where Toho's control over Japanese production companies and pressure on actors had halted auditions.

Listening silently to Katahiro's explanation, Jang Sunho clenched his fist. His suit seemed uncomfortable as it swelled up in anger.

"It's a difficult situation. Have you had any trouble with Toho before this incident?"

"While it wasn't trouble per se, Toho did contact me about investing in the project."

"Investment?"

"Yes. Naturally, I refused. We have enough money, and honestly, I didn't want to give Toho any stake in this project. I don't know the exact reason, but that seems to be the cause. I apologize."

Lowering his head in apology, Katahiro was met with a reassuring gesture from Jang Sunho.

"You have nothing to apologize for, Director. If anything, you did well."

"Hmm"

"More importantly, how are we going to resolve this?"

"I'll visit Toho once. If I need to apologize, I'll apologize, and we'll seek an amicable solution."

"No. Why should we apologize when we've done nothing wrong?"

Jang Sunho interrupted Katahiro, preventing him from continuing. Afterward, he fell into silence, lost in thought.

Katahiro observed Jang Sunho silently. Since their first meeting, he had suspected that Jang Sunho was not an ordinary manager.

"Director, if it's challenging to find a production team and actors in Japan"

"Yes."

After a moment of silence, Jang Sunho spoke. With a glimmer of hope in his eyes, Katahiro responded with seriousness.

"If it's difficult to secure them in Japan, what about importing the production team and actors from Korea?"