Chapter 50: Still Making Movies? A Battle Royale of Famous Songstresses!

Chiba Action Performance Studio.

This was the private agency founded by Shinichi Chiba. Given his status and standing, having his own private agency was entirely normal, and he even had several quite active artists under his banner.

His prized disciple Hiroyuki Sanada, along with his female disciples Hiroko Yakushimaru and Yukari Oshima—whenever any of them were brought up, their personal character, martial arts skills, and acting abilities were always among the finest choices of their era.

Shinichi Chiba could already be said to be very satisfied with his life. Not only had he left behind numerous classic performances on the silver screen, but he had also trained so many outstanding disciples.

Yet, he still harbored a trace of unwillingness.

How did Japanese cinema end up like this?!

Why did such a massive influx of pink films emerge?

He had heard that that fellow Toru Muranishi had pulled off a very impressive bento-box train technique. Judging by this single move, that famous director seemed to possess a rather decent lower-back strength.

If he were under my, Shinichi Chiba's, tutelage, I might just be able to train this Toru Muranishi into an action film superstar with exceptional martial arts skills!

Actually, Shinichi Chiba was overcomplicating things; Toru Muranishi was already an action film star.

It was just that this kind of action...

Unreconciled, truly unreconciled!

For over a year, there hadn't been a single script worth looking at, and the current pressure within his heart was starting to mount.

Could it be that I, Shinichi Chiba, am just going to fade away from the entertainment industry like this?

Just as he was pondering this, his prized disciple Hiroyuki Sanada arrived.

"Master."

"Oh, aren't you busy filming *Infernal Affairs*? How do you have time to come back and see me?"

"Master, your disciple has an unrequited request."

"Go ahead."

Hiroyuki Sanada was immensely respectful toward his teacher, sitting in formal seiza directly across from Shinichi Chiba.

"Master, your disciple has realized that the film *Infernal Affairs* holds immense potential. It is truly a rare and exceptional masterpiece. Moreover, Director Iwata, despite his youth, possesses an understanding of cinema and a mastery of narrative control that make him an absolute, once-in-a-generation genius!"

"Oh, you mean..."

How could Shinichi Chiba fail to understand?

Sanada no longer beat around the bush. "Your disciple wishes to ask Master to step out of semi-retirement and play a major role in the film!"

Shinichi Chiba had originally been a prolific star; shooting several movies a year was commonplace for him. Yet now, it had been over a year since he last made a film...

The more this was the case, the more cautious one had to be when choosing a project.

How could Sanada not understand his teacher's reservations?

He leaned forward immediately and whispered in a low voice, "Master, this film is, by far, the most ingeniously crafted piece of work I have ever witnessed..."

As Shinichi Chiba listened, his heart began to tremble more and more violently.

...

While Hiroyuki Sanada was working hard to recruit his teacher, the crew of *Infernal Affairs* was experiencing some "infighting."

Takeshi Iwata had money this time. With a budget of 200 million yen, his ammunition was fully stocked.

Furthermore, in order to race against time, this fellow had made extensive preparations.

The script, the storyboard script, and all sorts of camera angles were already completely clear in his mind. Plus, that weirdo Sion Sono kept tossing out all kinds of eccentric suggestions.

This film, *Infernal Affairs*, would be finished shooting in a month at the absolute slowest!

A short shooting schedule brought one most direct benefit: cost savings.

With plenty of money and reduced costs, the abundance of funds was amplified in return—a complete logical closed loop, so to speak.

Thus, the first thing that crossed his mind was a certain matter.

*A Brute* had virtually no soundtrack. Although Takeshi Kitano genuinely adored film scenes devoid of background music, Takeshi Iwata felt he needed to add some this time around.

Otherwise, how would anyone know that our *Infernal Affairs* was a major production?

As for the theme song of *City Hunter*, Shinobu had dragged him along to chase after idols back then, and Takeshi Iwata could make good use of this very track.

After all, this song was, at its core, a love song. Therefore, when Kazuma Kiryu—played by Takeshi Iwata—hummed this song while working undercover in the underworld, it wouldn't arouse any suspicion.

Yet this song also represented his unyielding willpower and many other things.

As for learning how to sing... it was actually for Shinobu, serving as both compensation and a gift for the young girl.

Shinobu was overjoyed. She got to meet her idol, and under the arrangement of Big Uncle, she was actually able to take singing lessons from her idol.

How wonderful was that!

Under such circumstances, what would Shinobu do?

"Well then, I shall display my true strength."

Originally, Takeshi Iwata and Kohhy had everything arranged smoothly, but now...

"Um..." Takeshi Iwata desperately wanted to stop her or suggest moving this "display of strength" to somewhere else.

However, Kohhy was completely unaware and readily said, "That's wonderful."

Takeshi Iwata shot her a cautious look, though Kohhy did not yet grasp the profound meaning behind that glance.

"I will perform a song—Sister's *Mermaid Princess*."

Shinobu was brimming with vitality, holding her hands as if gripping a virtual microphone, and began right there.

*Mermaid Princess* was Miho Nakayama's mega-hit single of the year. The records were selling brilliantly, but singing it live a cappella... Never mind, as long as the song itself was good.

Suddenly!

"I-don't-mind~ I-don't-mind~~"

As soon as Shinobu belted out the opening line, Kohhy froze.

"Iwata-san, I thought this was going to be a simple task."

"Well, didn't I mention it back at the Budokan?"

"I honestly thought you were joking at the time."

"This... Do I look like the kind of person who likes to joke around to you?"

Kohhy was left between laughter and tears, but Director Iwata's words weren't wrong. Looking at his fierce mug, he really didn't look like someone who enjoyed joking.

Shinobu, however, was taking it extremely seriously, singing and dancing simultaneously.

She was completely oblivious to the fact that her idol was already under immense pressure.

In Takeshi Iwata's view, an a cappella performance was actually more suited for Shinobu to showcase her abilities.

Without any music, whatever pitch she hit became the definitive standard.

At that moment, attracted by the singing, Neko, Uo, Kiyoshi, and Matsushige Yutaka also wandered over.

A group of rugged, rough-looking men stood watching the pure and lovely Shinobu, listening to her earnest vocals.

Takeshi Iwata swept his gaze across them and felt as though their faces had just taken a serious punch from a certain bald superhero.

The group of tough guys couldn't help but cast their eyes toward Takeshi Iwata, their expressions clearly conveying:

*Should we stop her? Our ears are being brutally assaulted.*

Shinobu, who had gone wild with her singing, finally noticed the strange atmosphere. "Um... Is it really that bad?"

She had put a lot of heart into it.

Faced with Shinobu, who perfectly demonstrated what it meant to have zero skill but boundless enthusiasm, Takeshi Iwata directly offered his applause.

"Tremendous potential!" He understood the subtext.

With such a review given, the others naturally expressed their affirmation.

"That's right! There will definitely be no problem in the future!"

"I think it sounds lovely."

"Yeah, much better than that fellow Kiyoshi's singing."

"Why compare to her? Why pick me out?"

Shinobu's primary concern remained Kohhy's critique.

"It can definitely be improved!" Kohhy even gave Shinobu a thumbs-up.

She was overjoyed, the young girl practically beaming.

She hadn't yet realized that according to Big Uncle's logic, as long as the starting point was low enough, the potential could...

Yet right at that moment.

"Hmph! If you can't sing well, you just can't sing well, it's fine." Dressed in a kimono, Miho Nakayama finally arrived. Her makeup was quite elaborate and had delayed her.

She was well aware of her younger sister's vocal level.

It was even more atrocious than her own.

No, she needed to restore the honor of the Nakayama family right here and now.

"Please forgive my clumsy rendition of *Mermaid Princess*." Miho Nakayama, the original singer, was going to belt it out on the spot?!

"Oh oh!"

"Sugoi!"

Neko, Uo, Kiyoshi, Matsushige Yutaka, and the others clapped with great enthusiasm.

Even Sion Sono hurried over.

Wonderful! Could this be considered an employee benefit of joining their crew?

A live enka performance by a famous songstress!

Of course, Sion Sono had stated to Takeshi Iwata right from the beginning that he didn't find either Akina or Miho particularly attractive.

Takeshi Iwata had initially wanted to dispatch this fellow straight to an ophthalmologist, but then he remembered that the man's chest was filled with nothing but grand intellect.

Never mind, let's not argue with a weirdo.

Not bad; once Miho opened her mouth, she was indeed far superior to her sister.

However, as for her vocal range and techniques... Kohhy finally understood why Takeshi Iwata had invited her to teach Shinobu how to sing.

Still, wasn't the song pleasant to listen to?

Clap, clap, clap—the rough-looking men kept the applause going.

So, had the Nakayama family's honor been successfully reclaimed?

Yet right at that very instant.

"Oh my, how lovely."

Akina appeared.

"Akina, why are you here?"

"You didn't have any scenes today... It's so great that you came!"

"Good job today, Akina."

Aside from Miho, whose brows furrowed, everyone else was thrilled. And immediately afterward, Miho's brows furrowed even deeper.

"Is everyone having a singing contest? Well then, how could I possibly be left out?"

*We are not having a singing contest...* But who would be foolish enough to voice those words aloud?

Miho actually felt the urge to clarify the situation, but then she thought this was a prime opportunity for a direct showdown!

She was truly advancing into battle this time.

Akina gave a light cough. "Let me offer a song that has been quite popular this year."

A new song from this year?

Virtually the entire crew had gathered around, thinking to themselves that shooting a movie with Takeshi Iwata was simply fantastic—such opportunities were something they'd gladly do for free.

Actually, Akina truly didn't have any scenes scheduled for today, but feeling rather bored, she decided to drop by and take a look.

As it turned out, it was extremely interesting.

Since she had nothing else to do, she might as well sing a tune.

That song was...

"The raincoat before my eyes, it looks so familiar~"

"Standing at the dusk-lit train station, my heart beats wildly."

Oh my! It was actually this one!

*Eki* (Station) from the 1986 album *Crimson*.

Why did she say it was still popular this year?

Because it had been covered this year by powerhouse vocalist Hiromi Iwasaki, sparking quite a considerable sensation.

It was as if Akina could casually pull out an SSR card no matter what she chose.

Truth be told, her husky voice and... every single aspect of her performance simply crushed the competition.

How could everyone's applause be anything less than fervent?

Earlier, the song had been decent.

Now, it was both visually stunning and a delight to hear.

Even Shinobu and Kohhy were clapping incessantly.

As for Takeshi Iwata, he was deeply struck as well.

Such vocals and such breathtaking beauty made everyone completely forget the most tragic casualty of the moment.

Inside Miho's mind right now, a little cartoon figure had collapsed to the ground, weeping.

Dammit! She lost again!

No, she couldn't win at singing anyway, so she would definitely defeat her in acting!

It wasn't until Akina finished the song that she realized it wasn't any sort of singing competition, prompting her to burst into laughter while everyone else joined in the merriment.

Consider this a minor interlude—combining work with proper rest.

Old man Shimazu walked over carrying a mobile phone, and Takeshi Iwata roughly guessed what it was about.

"Director, the teacher has agreed."

"Fantastic!"

Just as expected, Shinichi Chiba had also agreed to join *Infernal Affairs*. Takeshi Iwata felt that he was holding a full hand of SSR cards right now.