Chapter 3. With Pucci by My Side, It's Like a Fish in Water
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"That concludes my summary of the currently popular idols."
"Additionally, I've compared the works these idols have participated in and their revenue growth compared to other works released in the same period. You can all take a look and use it for reference."
Having spent a lot of time researching and calculating the schedules of various popular idols, Ryoko Kakyoin presented her data report, both tired and excited, to Jolyne Cujoh and Pucci at the new day's meeting.
"As for the actors' fees, you don't need to worry too much."
"Thanks to the personal relationship between Mr. Joestar and Mr. Kitagawa, as long as we reveal our identities, we might get a relatively favorable price and even additional investment from Johnny's."
That's right. Just as Pucci was considering how to improve "Phantom Blood," the not-so-impressive first part of the "JOJO's Bizarre Adventure" series, by raising the overall performance through casting, Ryoko Kakyoin had the same thought.
However, unlike Pucci, who could fully utilize his transmigrator advantage, Ryoko Kakyoin could leverage the backing of the SPW Foundation and Joestar Real Estate.
In the capitalist stronghold of America, known for its powerful financial groups, contacting Johnny Kitagawa, a former U.S. Army CID officer stationed in Japan and a member of the Military Assistance Advisory Group at the U.S. Embassy, to assist in their operations in Japan, was hardly an issue.
No problem at all!
In addition to collaborating with Johnny's on actors, they could also handle promotion and distribution. With the support of the SPW Foundation and Joestar Real Estate, they could directly air their work during prime time on NTV, Japan's long-standing ratings champion.
After all, like Johnny Kitagawa, a Japanese-American with a white heart, Matsutaro Shoriki, who founded NTV, was also a Class-A war criminal pardoned by the United States. If he didn't work for the Americans, would he dare to do anything else?
Absolutely not.
The more Ryoko Kakyoin studied the Japanese entertainment industry, the more she realized how massive their advantages were. With the SPW Foundation and Joestar Real Estate backing them, they could practically dominate this land!
This filled her with even more admiration for Jolyne Cujoh.
To quickly recognize the potential of Japan and consider the possibility of xenophobic sentiments by recruiting local staff—choosing "JOJO's Bizarre Adventure" likely had a deeper value she couldn't understand.
Unaware that Jolyne had randomly chosen the location and set things up this way to prevent interference from SPW Foundation and Joestar Real Estate experts, Jolyne frowned as she read Ryoko Kakyoin's report.
—Is the old man friends with Kitagawa?
—Wouldn't that mean I'm at a huge loss!?
—No way, I can't let Johnny's join in!
This was her only thought after hearing the report.
Even if she didn't understand the dirt in Japan's entertainment industry, she knew that Japan's air might lack oxygen, but it couldn't lack Johnny's immense fame. After spending some time in Japan, Jolyne knew this well.
With Johnny's joining, even if their script was terrible, it would never lose money! The only question would be whether they made a small profit or a huge one.
So, the problem was—
How could she reject Ryoko Kakyoin's proposal?
Directly saying no was impossible. The benefits of collaborating with Johnny's were too great. She couldn't reveal the system's existence or let anyone realize she wanted to lose money, or the system's restrictive conditions would become evident.
It was incredibly challenging for her.
After pondering for a long time without finding a good reason, Jolyne could only turn to Pucci, her carefully selected Hidden Dragon.
"Ahem. I think we should consider Director Pucci's opinion on this matter."
"After all, we're still newcomers in this field, aren't we?"
Come on, Hidden Dragon Pucci! Save the day!
"Since President Cujoh has said so, I'll share my humble opinion."
"Secretary Kakyoin's proposal for today is..."
Taking a deep breath, Pucci looked resolute as he spoke, "Absolutely not!"
"..."
"...!?"
Even Jolyne, who had only looked at Pucci's frown and hoped for the best, widened her eyes in surprise.
—Is he really backing me up?
Unaware of Jolyne's thoughts, Pucci thought she, like Ryoko Kakyoin, didn't understand why he was rejecting the proposal so firmly.
—But even if it meant facing hardships and possibly getting fired, I had to say it!
With these thoughts, Pucci continued, "Actually, a certain soul character in the 'Phantom Blood' script is based on one of my classmates, who I believe is the best person to portray this character."
"While Johnny's participation might make our work hugely popular initially, once the hype dies down, their idols who can't capture this soul will render our work mediocre and forgotten."
"So, I think we shouldn't sacrifice long-term gains for short-term benefits!"
Hearing this, Jolyne understood.
—He's using connections!?
—Who would've thought Pucci would learn to pull strings at such a young age!
—But I like it!
—With Pucci by my side, it's like a fish in water!!
They were definitely going to lose money this time!
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