Chapter 12. A Marvelous Start Like Never Before
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On Pucci's computer screen, a scene was playing.
A girl with long black hair (probably) was talking to herself, claiming she never gets angry. Then, another girl with orange twin-tails (probably) started testing this claim.
The orange-haired girl began by gently tapping the black-haired girl, gradually increasing the force until she was delivering a barrage of punches, shouting "Are you angry?" and receiving the response, "No, I'm not."
...
That was the entire scene.
Leaving aside the incomprehensible and neurotic plot, what was it trying to convey? The visuals themselves were striking...
If it weren't for the sailor uniforms on those bizarrely shaped creatures, and Pucci's confirmation that they were indeed human girls, Jolyne Cujoh would never have believed it.
But...
Isn't this...great?!
Confirming that the scene was not a hallucination caused by her desire to lose money, Jolyne Cujoh, convinced that her aesthetics—and presumably the general public's—had not evolved to appreciate such visuals, felt ecstatic inside.
She had chosen the right person!
Even if Pucci hoped the OP would create a sensation, it was clear that any normal person seeing this would immediately quit. The deterrent effect was 1000%, not 100%.
Once the reputation of the work plummets, even those who haven't watched it would be discouraged by the reviews, avoiding increasing its view count.
Seeing such a marvelous beginning unfold before her eyes, Jolyne Cujoh immediately decided, "No need to look further; we'll choose this studio!"
Without waiting for Pucci, Jolyne Cujoh took out her phone and searched for Kamikaze Studio's website. There, she found the studio's outsourcing service prices.
— "Hello, may I ask if your OP production price is really $500,000 per minute?"
Indeed, $500,000 per minute was Kamikaze Studio's listed price.
To ensure it wasn't a typo, Jolyne Cujoh specifically inquired through the website's backend.
— "Hello, that's correct. $500,000 per minute is just one of our service options. Depending on your requirements, we can also offer services priced at 100,000 yen or 1,000,000 yen."
Soon, Kamikaze Studio responded to her inquiry.
But... it really is $500,000 per minute!?
Seeing this, Jolyne Cujoh didn't need to look further to know she had come to the right place!
Why hadn't she noticed this before? Spending money like this was possible!
— "We're filming a fully immersive project and would like to outsource our theme song OP production to your studio."
— "But after seeing your technical prowess, I also want to inquire if you can provide technical assistance?"
— "Not just for the OP, but can you also help us with some battle scenes?"
— "Of course, we'll pay the highest price, as listed on your website—$500,000 per minute!"
Confirming Kamikaze Studio's price was indeed $500,000, Jolyne Cujoh quickly calculated based on the typical episode length of 20 to 30 minutes. With "Phantom Blood" potentially having ten episodes, she calculated at $500,000 per minute.
Then she realized... she didn't have enough money...
Despite complaining about not spending much before, now, considering Kamikaze Studio's prices, her funds seemed insufficient.
It was a happy problem to have. Even with an opportunity to lose more money right in front of her, she couldn't because she didn't have enough funds.
But would this stop her from exploiting the system? No! Absolutely not!
Earlier, Pucci mentioned that even if they had more budget, they wouldn't know where to spend it. Now, someone could help them spend!
— "If you're making a lot of visuals, we can offer a discount."
Kamikaze Studio's staff considered that the assets stored in the fully immersive device could be reused, particularly for OPs often crafted from high points in the main story.
But...
— "No, I think you misunderstood us."
Eh, a discount? Seeing this latest reply, Jolyne Cujoh was displeased. If Kamikaze Studio reduced their price further, what if she spent less money?
Unsure how much Kamikaze Studio would lower their price, Jolyne Cujoh replied:
— "Our requirements are somewhat special..."
— "I'll send our budget, and you can discuss with our director how many scenes this can cover."
Indeed, Jolyne Cujoh wanted to be the sucker! Directly revealing the budget during negotiations is rare, and those who do often go bankrupt in the industry.
But this was precisely the effect Jolyne Cujoh wanted! Especially since the system didn't stop her, she felt even more pleased.
The system couldn't outsmart a human!
"Great, tonight we'll have barbecue!" Jolyne Cujoh decided with a smile after completing the order with Kamikaze Studio.
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