Chapter 19: 019, Are You Filming Another Commercial?

Keiko Fujita did not delay; she arrived punctually the next afternoon.

Naoki Nagayama handed over the specific details for the three plots of land from his car. He had his eye directly on a warehouse located near Takadanobaba.

Exiting the JR Togetsu Station, one would pass through a small street filled with restaurants and izakayas, and find it located behind one of them.

The location was extremely convenient; students from Waseda University and Tokyo Fuji University frequently spent their weekends here.

The site had originally been an air defense structure from the pre-war era, which later became a temporary warehouse for seafood. Fresh catches brought from the seaside were refrigerated here before being distributed to various stores in northern Tokyo.

After the Great Kanto Earthquake, the fish markets in Japan were centralized in Tsukiji. With the advancement of refrigeration technology and transportation, this warehouse in Takadanobaba was later repurposed to store tools, timber, and various miscellaneous items.

The entire warehouse was approximately 200 tsubo and only one story high, but the ceiling was surprisingly 4 meters tall. Most people viewing it believed that such a height could not be used for a two-story shopping mall, and for an izakaya or restaurant, a 200-tsubo area seemed redundant and impractical.

Ultimately, the warehouse became a long-standing headache for owners, with the total price sitting at only around 80 million yen.

Naoki Nagayama had taken a liking to this site. As a pre-war building, it was extremely sturdy and had decent soundproofing. Although the height couldn't be used for a second floor, once he installed promotional neon lights, decorations, a stage, and a bar on the ground floor...

It would look perfect.

While contemplating the future interior design, Naoki Nagayama said to Keiko Fujita, "Keiko-san, this place feels great. Let's settle on it~"

"Hai, Naoki-san's decisions are as decisive as ever~" Having grown accustomed to Naoki Nagayama's style, Keiko-san immediately began preparing the next steps.

"Now, since we've made our choice, shall we grab a bite and a drink, Naoki-san? It's getting late, and there are plenty of izakayas around here~" Keiko Fujita tucked her trendy "Saint hair" behind her ear and looked at Naoki Nagayama, her eyes sparkling.

Was she looking for a meal, or was she looking for a "young sprout"?

"Ah, is it that time already!" Naoki Nagayama quickly adopted the tone of a "steel-straight man." "I've made plans to go to the pachinko parlor with a friend; I'm going to be late!"

"Arigato, Keiko-san! Thank you so much for your trouble today! I won't be eating; I'm catching a train to meet my friend." Naoki Nagayama expressed his gratitude repeatedly and then turned to leave decisively.

"Well then, I'll leave the rest to you, Keiko-san. I'm off, bye-bye~"

"Hmph, this blockhead, idiot, baka!" Keiko Fujita stomped her feet in frustration several times before driving home.

Naoki Nagayama still cherished this body that had remained pure for 19 years.

Because it was a full cash payment, the paperwork for the warehouse transfer was processed very quickly.

At the same time, he asked Keiko Fujita to introduce him to a reliable first-class architect, Takashi Honma. He discussed the construction requirements for the disco in detail, hoping to have the design drawings completed first, with the total budget controlled within 15 million yen.

As for budgets... they were bound to exceed the limit eventually anyway.

His wallet, which had just been a bulging 100 million yen, was now nearly empty again. Money really is hard to keep!

The cold wind of February grew even harsher; this kind of late spring chill was truly grueling.

After communicating with Takashi Honma, the design drawings were finalized. Honma had already assembled a construction team, and the renovation work had begun in full swing.

It would likely take until April to complete.

So, what should he do for these two months?

Lying in his kotatsu like a salted fish, Naoki Nagayama contemplated the meaning of life.

It seemed that aside from his obsession with getting rich, he had no other life goals.

What should a life of "poetry and distant horizons" actually look like? What is my pursuit? Why did I come into this world?

Slowly, Naoki Nagayama began to ask himself the three famous ultimate questions of life: "Who am I? Where do I come from? Where am I going?"

However, his mind only grew more muddled. These were questions that even the wise Plato might not have fully grasped; of course Naoki Nagayama couldn't figure them out, and neither could 99.999% of the world.

If one could figure this out before the end of their life, perhaps one could say they hadn't lived in vain.

While his thoughts were drifting, the phone rang.

It was Daichi Yoshimura (the lecherous, balding middle-aged man).

"Naoki-kun, it has been a while. How are you?"

"Hai, I'm doing well. How about you, Daichi-kun?"

"Thanks to you, my work is going very smoothly."

"Oh? That's wonderful then." The two exchanged polite, lukewarm pleasantries while Naoki Nagayama waited for Daichi Yoshimura to reveal his true purpose.

"It's like this, Naoki-kun. I'm calling today regarding the advertisement again."

"Arere, wasn't the commercial already finished? Is the effect not good? Did the client come looking for me?"

"Hahaha, no, the effect was fantastic. But the client did indeed come knocking." Daichi Yoshimura laughed easily.

"Didn't I mention before? Naoki-kun's commercial was a test run for a series of sodas. Since the green plum flavor sold very well, the subsequent advertisements for orange, cherry, watermelon, and so on, are all ready to launch."

Ha, a very standard move. He remembered a certain forest-themed sugar-free soda in the future that followed this exact route, releasing over a dozen flavors in a single year.

Naoki Nagayama was still puzzled: "That is indeed good, but what does that have to do with me?"

"Hai, that's what I'm getting to. Actually, after the last commercial, the client is very impressed with your image." Daichi Yoshimura paused for dramatic effect.

"Furthermore, Shuichi Itou has proposed a project. He hopes to turn this series of commercials into a collection of stories centered around fruit flavors, covering the entire annual promotion of new products for Tomimasu Beverages. I heard this project is highly appreciated by the head of the Tomimasu Beverages publicity department!"

"Ha, that's quite an interesting idea," Naoki Nagayama thought to himself. This Shuichi Itou indeed had deep connections with Tomimasu Beverages to be able to secure an entire year's worth of new product promotions.

"Based on what you're saying, Daichi-kun, are you inviting me to continue filming commercials?"

"Hai. As the initial representative figure for this series, Shuichi Itou believes Naoki-kun can serve as the thread that runs through the entire story."

"I wonder what Naoki-kun's thoughts are on continuing with the advertisements?"

Naoki Nagayama happened to have nothing to do during this period, and the last collaboration had been pleasant, so he had no resistance to taking on the job. Besides, there was money to be made.

"Daichi-kun, I understand. I'm okay with collaborating on the commercials. I wonder if the profit-sharing ratio will be the same as last time?"

"Regarding that, Naoki-kun, we are filming an entire year's series this time, so the contract will be different. Would it be convenient for us to meet and discuss the details?"

"Hai, of course."

Thus, the two agreed to meet at the agency tomorrow morning to discuss the details. Daichi Yoshimura offered to pick him up by car, and Naoki Nagayama readily agreed.

"Speaking of which, should I really get a driver's license?" Naoki Nagayama realized someone was picking him up again. "Maybe I should buy a car too~"

After all, the money from this commercial shoot should be quite substantial.