"Hi!"
As the head chef finished speaking, his assistant also removed his hat and took off his uniform.
Underneath, he was wearing a black shirt with the sleeves rolled up, revealing two tattoo-covered arms.
Ethan's eyes widened as he watched Mr. Otsuka stride steadily to the table across from Matsubara and take a seat. Only then did Ethan notice the tiger tattoo on the back of his head.
"Gangsters! Ethan!" Quentin also realized the true identity of these people.
"I know," Ethan replied much more calmly. He had suspected something was off about the chef but hadn't expected that the gang itself would be cooking.
"And a tiger tattoo, impressive!" Quentin continued to marvel.
"..." Ethan looked at him speechlessly, doubting whether he had taught him too much or too little.
Before they could say more, the disguised head chef suddenly removed his white chef's uniform, revealing a white shirt underneath. He rolled up his sleeves, exposing clear gunshot scars on his arms. Then, he placed his hands on his knees and politely greeted Ethan and Quentin.
"I am Otsuka Sho, the foreign affairs director of the Sumiyoshi-kai."
"Hello, Mr. Otsuka," Ethan and Quentin nodded in response.
"..."
The room fell into silence. Ethan and Quentin, contrary to Mr. Otsuka's expectations, didn't ask about the Sumiyoshi-kai or the position of foreign affairs director. Instead, one sipped water while the other ate sushi, leaving the well-prepared Otsuka Sho somewhat at a loss.
The silence was broken when the door opened, and the white-haired master chef Kuroki entered, preparing sushi for everyone under the pine tree. Hori Takehiko finally spoke up, "Mr. Otsuka Sho is a partner of our company. When we heard that you two were visiting Tokyo, it was his idea to invite you to dinner."
"Thank you for your hospitality, Mr. Otsuka," Ethan said, spreading his hands and feigning awkwardness. "Unfortunately, we didn't prepare a gift in return. How about we send one through Ogawa-kun after we've bought something suitable?"
"Ethan is right. The sushi is delicious, and we should show our gratitude."
Quentin chimed in, then casually glanced downward. Beneath the table, a young woman knelt with her bare feet tucked behind her, her pale toes and slightly pink soles on full display, capturing the director's attention.
"Haha, you're too kind," Otsuka Sho laughed. "But there's no need for gifts. We're simply fulfilling our duty as hosts. Now that everyone has finished eating, shall we get to business?"
With that, he looked at Hori Takehiko, who quickly added, "Mr. Quentin, Mr. Ethan, in fact, the purpose of this meeting is to discuss a possible collaboration."
"Collaboration?" Quentin asked, puzzled.
"Yes, exactly. Last year, our company, HORIPRO, underwent a leadership change. My father, the founder, retired."
As Hori Takehiko explained, Quentin and Ethan gradually understood his intentions.
Hori Takehiko's father, Hori Takeo, had established HORIPRO, a company that thrived on talent management. To select suitable artists, they had specialized training and selection programs. Many talented actors had been discovered this way, such as Kyoko Fukada, Satomi Ishihara, and Haruka Ayase.
But the company's most famous and successful find was the legendary star Yamaguchi Momoe, considered an eternal goddess in Japan.
However, the company's rigorous training system was contrasted by its infamously low monthly salaries. Regardless of their status, even top stars were paid monthly wages instead of being compensated per project. This meant their earnings were much lower than industry peers of similar stature.
After Hori Takeo stepped down, the company presidency went to former president Shingo Oda, while Hori Takehiko's brother, Hori Kazutaka, became vice president.
Although Hori Takehiko became president, he didn't see a bright future for the company. He believed it was falling behind the times and wanted to innovate, moving towards a more Hollywood-style talent management model. However, the board of directors hindered his efforts to implement change.
By chance, he connected with Otsuka Sho and decided to establish a new company, aiming to adopt Hollywood practices, expand artist reputations, improve their income, and grow stronger.
This was why they sought out Ethan and Quentin: they hoped to collaborate with them to get their artists into Hollywood and build a reputation.
"What kind of reputation are you looking for?" Ethan asked directly.
"It's simple, Mr. Ethan. As long as our artists can appear in major films or play roles in popular music videos, that will suffice," Hori Takehiko explained.
Hearing this, Ethan suddenly understood. Tapping his fingers lightly on the table, he thought to himself:
Reputation, improved income, following Hollywood's lead—it's all nonsense.
These two clearly wanted their artists to gain some Hollywood exposure and then cash in back in Tokyo.
After all, Hollywood was at its peak during this era. Only top-tier domestic stars, elite actors, or Japanese-American performers like Ken Watanabe, Hiroyuki Sanada, and Rinko Kikuchi could land roles in Hollywood blockbusters.
Most actors couldn't even approach the Hollywood threshold, let alone get cast.
This explained why they were so eager to invite Ethan and Quentin, sparing no effort in hospitality. If the two agreed to collaborate, they would pave a pathway to Hollywood for their artists, quickly transforming them from rookies to internationally recognized talents.
Such fame would undoubtedly be a major selling point in Tokyo, bringing in a fortune after just a touch of Hollywood's shine.
Driven by greed, Hori Takehiko's enthusiasm and Ogawa Sugai's thorough service were clearly profit-motivated.
It was also likely that other Hollywood figures had been similarly courted.
Realizing all this, Ethan felt more at ease. He and Quentin weren't at a disadvantage here. In fact, they held the upper hand. Hori Takehiko and Otsuka Sho needed them to provide access to Hollywood.
In short, Ethan and Quentin were the gods of wealth in this situation. They had no reason to fear any aggressive moves from the other side. If they dared to harm either of them, the U.S. military stationed in Japan wouldn't let these people or their backers off easily.
With this clarity, Ethan's confidence grew. Taking a sip of sake, he motioned for Kyoko Fukada to sit closer to him, then glanced at Quentin.
Quentin, now moving with greater ease, seemed to have grasped the key points. In Hollywood's cutthroat environment, only the sharpest survived, and Quentin, a director who had clawed his way up from the bottom, was no exception.
Now reassured, Ethan smiled and said, "Mr. Hori, I'm a very simple man—very simple. I only like two things."
"And what are they?" Hori Takehiko leaned forward slightly, his face expectant.
Ethan raised one finger. "First, money."
Then another. "Second, more money."
...
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