Tokyo Agent: Starting with Picking Up a Problem Girl

Chapter 78 Climbing the Consumption Barrier

"That child..."

"Can you always eat this much?"

Asuka's ears perked up, and she froze in place.

She also has perfect pitch, and although Watanabe Yukino lowered her voice, her words still reached her ears clearly.

Moreover, whenever a woman chats with Nakajima Hiroshi, it attracts her attention.

Am I... am I...?

Or... no, we shouldn't eat...?

"Yes, she has always had a very big appetite."

Zhong, Dao, Hong!

"Dance training is very demanding, so being able to eat is a good thing..."

Okay then.

Asuka hesitated for a moment, then carefully took another bite.

However, their eating manners have become much more restrained.

"Speaking of which, Nakajima, what are your plans for Asuka's future?"

Although Shigeru Yoshioka looks very fat, he eats surprisingly little.

In fact, it's said to have a small, bird-like stomach.

Waaah, there are those who can eat without gaining weight and live a peaceful life, and there are also those who are fat but don't eat and have a miserable life burdened with hardship.

Shigeru Yoshioka is very concerned about Hiroshi Nakajima's long-term operational capabilities.

Judging from the previous arrangements, this guy has a very conservative personality.

Now that the focus has suddenly shifted to collaboration, he's worried that the other person's thinking won't keep up, thus wasting the child's potential.

Even if you don't have operational decision-making power, there's always no problem with communication, so this isn't overstepping your bounds.

"I think the most urgent task is to build up popularity and solidify the fan base."

"Participate in more variety shows, such as the opening and closing shows of a program or live houses..."

"How many shows each month?"

Compared to Hiroshi Nakajima's approach, Shigeru Yoshioka's problem was clearly more specific.

"Professor Yoshioka Shigeru's suggestion is..."

I certainly can't compare to him in terms of my understanding of the local idol ecosystem, so I might as well ask for his opinion.

Hiroshi Nakajima did not care about authoritarianism.

"If you ask me..."

Shigeru Yoshioka leaned back on the sofa, making a creaking sound.

"I suggest setting a timeframe for the plan, for example, three months."

"Therefore, we must have a general goal and expectation for these three months as a reference for the plan."

"Initially, in order to ensure the success of the disclosure, it can be done more frequently, such as three times a month."

"In the second month, you can slow down a bit, only appearing at two events, giving fans the illusion that the idol is slightly declining, and incidentally, you can also lure out some malicious people and take them all out."

His gaze sharpened.

"Then, in the third month, there was an explosion of frequent commercial performances."

"This creates the illusion among die-hard fans that their idol has finally stabilized their initial popularity and is now able to receive frequent commercial orders."

"At that time, we will make plans based on the actual performance of Asuka."

"Of course, if you have your own plans, then follow yours first. I was just saying this casually."

This is called the planning cycle.

The entertainment industry is full of variables. Performance, audience, enemies, competition, and even unrelated hot topics can ruin your plans.

Therefore, it is pointless to plan too far in advance at once.

Industry professionals typically plan for a quarter or even shorter, clearly defining the goals for that period, and everything revolves around those goals.

While Nakajima Hiroshi also had similar vague concepts, his application of them was certainly not as clear as Yoshioka Shigeru's.

After all, they're coming from a live streaming background, so there's bound to be some adjustment period.

At present, Shigeru Yoshioka is indeed an important partner.

He nodded solemnly to the other person.

"I've learned a lot, Professor Yoshioka."

"This is a very valuable suggestion. If Misaki-nee has no objections, we can do it this way."

Out of respect, Nakajima Hiro looked at Tachibana Misaki.

However, the other person rolled their eyes at him.

"Why are you looking at me? I don't know anything about the entertainment industry."

This is not resentment, but a clear delegation of authority.

Admitting one's ignorance and reminding others not to let personal relationships interfere with business is an important point that smart bosses understand.

"Understood."

Hiroshi Nakajima nodded: "In addition, I want to make more related limited-edition merchandise before the hype surrounding the announcement fades."

"For example, bracelets, badges, replica photos from the event, etc..."

"The price can be set lower, even at the cost of production, mainly to encourage fans to make their first purchase."

This logic is not practiced in the entertainment industry; it comes from…

First recharge of 6 yuan.

Whether it's idols, games, or anything else, once you've paid the entry fee, you're psychologically willing to spend money on it.

Today you can spend tens of yen, tomorrow you can spend hundreds or thousands, and in the future, spending tens or hundreds of thousands may not be the norm.

This is what is known as "crawling consumption".

Upon hearing this, Tachibana Misaki's eyes lit up.

But he did not say anything.

She's already figuring out how to do it in her own store...

However, Misaki Tachibana quickly dismissed this idea.

Host clubs are already declining in popularity; the future belongs to live streaming and idol groups, so there's no need to expose their business strategies.

She can still distinguish between what's important and what's not.

Hiroshi Nakajima continued the exchange.

"Also, could we consider creating a small fan club, offering some member-only content to increase engagement?"

"For example, video greetings, blog updates, limited-time meetups, etc."

"If we have more artists under our management in the future, we can consider incorporating some chart-topping or similar features..."

These are businesses that don't involve inventory costs and simply involve selling labor, but they are extremely helpful in maintaining fans and cash flow.

But Shigeru Yoshioka had a different opinion.

"This might seriously distract Asuka's attention."

"Mr. Hiroshi Nakajima, this seems more like a way to exploit an artist's potential and quickly monetize it."

Misaki Tachibana thinks it's feasible.

"I think that artists are essentially an industry, and the lifeblood of an industry is popularity and monetization."

"This is a good way for Asuka to quickly gain popularity. As long as a balance is maintained, it's a very good direction."

Merchandise, special offers, ranking...

I know this place very well!

Misaki Tachibana could see its value at a glance.

Perhaps Shigeru Yoshioka wasn't ignorant either, but Hiroshi Nakajima and she were more market-oriented, while Shigeru Yoshioka was more art-oriented.

Thinking of this, Misaki Tachibana continued to incite.

"Mr. Shigeru Yoshioka, art itself is certainly important..."

"But I believe that even artists hope their works and hard work can reach a wider audience, don't you think?"

It really is.

Yoshioka Shigeru neither agreed nor disagreed, and turned to Nakajima Hiroshi.

"Mr. Nakajima, you are currently the trader, so we should prioritize your role."

This is actually a tacit admission; he just doesn't want to admit certain things.

Shigeru Yoshioka is still more of a pure and simple person.

"Also, we should listen to Asuka's opinion."

The three of them looked at Asuka.

"what?"

Asuka swallowed her food: "Me?"

She had actually been listening the whole time, but she never said anything.

After all, she knew nothing about these things, but she didn't want to expose them to others.

The outcome of Asuka's decision is uncertain; will this embarrass Nakajima Hiroshi?

That's all she was worried about.

"Nakajima, you decide, I'll follow your arrangements."

After much deliberation, I decided to use the excuse of the artist's obedience to gloss over the matter.

Hehehe, this way you won't realize I don't understand anything at all!

"Understood."

Hiroshi Nakajima nodded: "Mr. Shigeru Yoshioka's concerns are not without merit. We do need to consider the energy that tomorrow will require."

"However, it is necessary to build this foundation."

"We can't just train one artist in the future. As the team develops, we'll need to use him very soon."

Just as he thought when he was arrested, Nakajima Hiroshi was no longer satisfied with being content with a modest life.

It's impossible to be at peace with it.

The fact that Kuroda Karito suddenly appeared out of nowhere and forced him into such a predicament has convinced Nakajima Hiroshi that a small-scale operation simply cannot sustain the entertainment industry.

I can't protect Asuka either.

It must grow and expand.

"Nakajima, are you looking for another woman...?"

Asuka adopted the attitude of an empress, even putting down the food she was holding.

That shows they really care.

"It doesn't necessarily have to be women. I also have some handsome young men under my wing who I'll be training under Nakajima Hiroshi."

Misaki Tachibana seemed to have figured something out and smiled as she tried to smooth things over.

"Ultimately, she's an entertainer, a subordinate, and different from Asuka Kozuka."

Wait, no, aren't they different...?

"I... I'm also one of his candidates..."

At this point, Asuka started to run away instead.

She turned her head away stiffly, then mischievously took a bite of a vegetable, as if that would allow her to avoid answering certain questions.

At this moment, Shigeru Yoshioka wiped his fingers with a wet wipe and began to speak slowly and deliberately.

"In addition, I have also investigated some security-related matters."

He was referring to Kuroda Karito.