Chapter 37: A Mistake
"NHK?" Shirakawa Feng raised his voice unconsciously while holding the receiver.
"Hai, if it's convenient for you, Mr. Shirakawa, we can have a face-to-face meeting."
Baichuan Feng was about to decline, but suddenly thought of something, "Excuse me, can I have someone to accompany me? ... Okay, thank you very much."
After hanging up the phone, he looked at Kotaro who was staring at him like a curious baby. Shirakawa Kaede stroked his chin and suddenly said, "Kotaro, do you think the star aura around me is that strong? Am I a natural artist?"
Kotaro blinked, "Xiao Feng, let's discuss changing our outfits, such as the Shirakawa Electric Co., Ltd. you just mentioned."
"Sure enough, you have no taste at all. You can't see the charm in me." Baichuan Feng looked at him with disdain, then picked up the phone and prepared to dial another number.
"Hey, wait a minute," Kotaro stopped Shirakawa Kaede, "Who called just now?"
"NHK, you know NHK, right? It's the NHK that you watch the Red and White Songs Festival at the New Year, the NHK that Yamaguchi Momoe made her final appearance this year!"
Although Shirakawa Kaede emphasized this, he actually didn't quite believe it in his heart. NHK is the equivalent of CCTV.
Why is he looking for me? He is not an artist. Could he have met a scammer?
From the other party's tone, it seems that he is really an insider, and scammers should not be so rampant these days.
With the mentality that he was free anyway and would go and see the world, Baichuan Feng accepted the invitation and brought a friend with him to broaden his horizons.
"Siguo Yinei~" Toratarou circled around Shirakawa Kaede again and again, but couldn't understand why the TV station had chosen him.
"Oh, right!" Toratarou suddenly exclaimed, "Xiao Feng, what about the Black Stone record player?" He thought that since Shirakawa Kaede went to NHK, he might really become an artist in the future. So, would what they just said still count?
Baichuan Feng gave him a strange look, "What do you mean by what? Of course I will continue. Do you think I really want to be an artist? How much money can I make as an artist? Besides, I am not from the acting department. Do you think anyone can attend NHK?"
"As for Blackstone Record Player, everything remains the same. Let's first check where their company or office is, and then we can go visit them together when we are ready." As he spoke, Baichuan Feng was already thinking about what kind of "surprise" he should bring to them.
"Oh, right. By the way, pay attention to collecting the malfunction problems of the Black Stone record player, and also the second-hand shop..." Seeing that Kotaro was getting more and more confused, Shirakawa Kaede waved his hand, "Forget it, I'll do these myself when I get back."
After explaining some precautions to Kotaro, Shirakawa Kaede started making phone calls to get people.
…
The next day, Shirakawa Kaede and Tanaka Yuko met again in a high-end cafe in Setagaya Ward.
That's right, the person he called was Yuko Tanaka. Of course, he had to bring her along to see the TV production department, as this was such a great opportunity.
We have not officially entered the 1980s yet. As the only publicly-operated television station in RB, NHK's authority needs no further explanation, and there are not so many troubles.
In fact, it's not just here. Baichuan Feng discovered that people of this era were generally much more simple than those in later generations.
If it was the 1920s, when demons were rampant, he would have encountered countless scammers. As for the fact that someone from NHK contacted him, Shirakawa Kaede's first reaction would definitely be to curse "Baka" and then hang up the phone.
"Shirakawa-kun, who are you meeting today?" Tanaka Yuko looked at Shirakawa Feng suspiciously. She always felt that this guy was a little mysterious.
"You'll know soon." Baichuan Feng said as he led the way into the coffee shop.
The people who live in this area are obviously wealthy and older. The pedestrians passing by on the street are all very decent in their clothing, words and behavior.
Under the guidance of the well-trained waiter, Baichuan Feng soon met the host who invited him to meet.
Hirayama Takeyuki, who was wearing glasses, stood up first and handed over his business card with both hands, "Excuse me, Mr. Shirakawa."
"Mr. Pingshan, you're too polite. Just call me Shirakawa ." Shirakawa Feng also bent down and took the business card with both hands.
"Director/Producer of NHK TV Drama Production Department"
Seeing the title on the business card, Bai Chuanfeng's heart skipped a beat. Wow, this guy has quite a background. This person is considered to have some real power.
On this side, Yuko Tanaka had just greeted the other party and received the business card as well. Her mind even went blank for a moment.
NHK? Producer? When did Shirakawa-kun get to know such a "big shot"?
For the fledgling Yuko Tanaka, the director and producer of a TV station were indeed considered big shots.
When he saw that it was Tanaka Yuko who was accompanying Shirakawa Kaede, Hirayama Takeshi's eyes flashed with surprise. He glanced at the assistant beside him, who shook his head.
It took a lot of effort for Takeyuki Hirayama to meet with Kaede Shirakawa.
When he ran into Shirakawa Feng by chance at Polydor Records, he was deeply impressed by his handsome face, especially his pair of bright eyes, which were very different from the small eyes commonly seen among Japanese men.
He felt that some roles might be a good fit for him, so he asked his assistant to get his contact information privately so they could have a chance to chat.
But although Shirakawa Kaede appeared in Polydor Records, he was not an artist.
Hirayama Takeyuki's assistant Oda searched all the artist management companies in Tokyo but couldn't find the corresponding person. Finally, he had no choice but to ask Polydor Records and finally got his contact information.
"Mr. Shirakawa, I invite you to an interview this time. There is a role that is very suitable for you." Hirayama Takeyuki took out a document and handed it to him.
Role? They really wanted me to act in this role. Baichuan Feng looked embarrassed, but he still opened the file and read it out of politeness.
This is a simple script, and the three words "Taiga Drama" made Tanaka Yuko, who was paying attention at the side, shudder.
The name of the drama is "Kusa Moyèru", and seeing this, not only Tanaka Yuko but also Shirakawa Kaede were a little surprised.
"Excuse me, Mr. Hirayama. It seems that Kusaboeru is already on the air." Shirakawa Kaede knew about the Taiga drama that NHK broadcasts once a year. He also knew that the drama had already been broadcast on TV at the beginning of the year.
Hirayama Takeyuki smiled. "Mr. Shirakawa, you don't know that Taiga dramas are produced once a year and filming takes a year. The roles that Mr. Shirakawa was invited to play this time are mostly concentrated in the back, and filming has not started yet."
There is a role of a handsome young man in the play. The crew interviewed several male actors, but was never satisfied.
Until he met Shirakawa Kaede by chance, Hirayama Takeyuki, who was also a member of the crew, immediately wanted him to try it.
There is not just one director for a Taiga drama. The plot of more than 50 episodes is usually produced by several directors.
Hirayama Takeyuki was not actually the director, but he was responsible for some of the casting. Seeing that all the other roles had been decided, there was only one supporting role that was difficult to decide.
Although the scenes are set in the second half of the year , we can’t wait until the filming starts to select the actors. Besides, Hirayama Takeyuki himself has to personally take charge of a TV series in the first half of the year, so time is tight.
This is also the reason why he hurriedly made an appointment with Baichuan Feng. If it was settled, his work would be freed up and he could focus on his own affairs.
After reading the script, Shirakawa Feng found that he didn't have many parts, but he really couldn't act, and the school curriculum was also a problem.
"Mr. Hirayama, I'm sure you know that I'm still a student. And not even in the acting department, so..." Shirakawa Kaede spread his hands in embarrassment.
This kind of Taiga drama takes a year to shoot, and even if it's a supporting role, it would take a long time to prepare for the role. The period is too long and not suitable for him.
Although he had expected this, Hirayama Takeyuki still felt a little regretful. "Shirakawa-san, don't you really want to consider it? As for acting, don't worry. NHK has special instructors."
"Thank you for your appreciation, Mr. Hirayama. However, due to my courses and future plans, I really cannot spare the time. I hope you can forgive me, Mr. Hirayama." He really did not have the time for the moment, and did not plan to be an artist in the future, so Shirakawa Feng could only politely decline.
Seeing that Shirakawa Kaede really had no intention of doing this, Hirayama Takenori did not force it. After all, it was just a minor supporting role, so if it didn't work, he could just use the previous alternative.
He just thought that Baichuan Feng was good and had a liking for his talent, so he wondered if he could help him.
Since it didn't work, he just let it go. Instead, he took a closer look at the other young girl next to him, Hirayama Takeyuki.
"Oh, Mr. Hirayama, this is Miss Tanaka. She is a student in the Department of Drama, Faculty of Literature, Meiji University, and will graduate this year." Seeing the other party looking at Yuko Tanaka, Shirakawa Kaede also introduced her enthusiastically.
"Haha." Hirayama Takeyuki smiled and waved his hands. He knew what Shirakawa Kaede meant. "Shirakawa-san, even if you didn't mention it, I would still contact Miss Tanaka."
"Huh?" Shirakawa Kaede and Tanaka Yuko were both surprised.
Hirayama Takeyuki adjusted his glasses and said, "Actually, I had been planning to try to contact Ms. Tanaka after meeting Mr. Shirakawa.
Although we said goodbye briefly at Polydor last time, both Shirakawa-san and Tanaka-san left a deep impression on me.
It just so happens that I am planning to produce a morning drama "Sister Xiaoma" this year, and I originally planned to use as many newcomers as possible. The simplicity of Ms. Tanaka is very suitable for a role in it.
I just met Ms. Tanaka, and I thought it was Oda who contacted Ms. Tanaka in advance. "
Assistant Oda, who was standing next to Takeshi Hirayama, was a young man about the same age as them. When he saw Shirakawa Kaede and the others looking at him, he smiled shyly.
Hearing Hirayama Takeyuki say this, Tanaka Yuko felt like she was blessed with a lucky jackpot. After all, it was NHK, a company many actors dreamed of working with.
She looked at Baichuan Feng somewhat at a loss, and the latter gave her an encouraging look.
"Mr. Hirayama, please take care of me!" Tanaka Yuko stood up and bowed solemnly.
Hirayama Takeyuki nodded and said, "Although I didn't convince Shirakawa-kun today, it is still a happy thing to meet Miss Tanaka.
Regarding the subsequent script, it will be given to Ms. Tanaka in the next two days. The shooting is expected to take less than two months. Please take care of it. "
The trip was not in vain. Hirayama Takeyuki was in a good mood. After saying goodbye to Shirakawa Kaede and the others, he left.
