Chapter 60: "Fierce" Crosses One Billion! The Christmas of the Spring in "Infernal Affairs"

Chapter 60: Violent Surpasses One Billion! Izumi's Christmas Gift from Infernal Affairs.

Mitani had indeed drunk too much that day, but fortunately, he did not make a fool of himself.

However, his inner conviction grew even firmer.

Takeshi Iwata, you are my lifelong rival!

Although I am no match for you, I will strive to catch up, taking you as my goal!

Much like Dragon Quest, where the hero is utterly incomparable to the evil dragon at the start, as levels rise and equipment is upgraded, the hero will inevitably triumph in the end.

Mitani never paused to consider whether defining himself as the hero was a rather shameless act.

What would the hero think?

Would the evil dragon simply agree to this?

Yet, fueled by this conviction, Mitani burst with immense motivation.

He felt extremely confident about this new script.

Strangely enough, having Takeshi Iwata as a target, as a lifelong rival, felt like a rather wonderful thing.

The moment this thought surfaced, he shook his head vigorously to clear it.

I must achieve the goal of having Akina star in my script!

Ganbatte!

Pinching his script and heading out the door, Mitani was brimming with energy.

Little did he expect...

"Massive Breakthrough! A Violent Man Reaches Over One Billion Yen at the Box Office!"

Couldn't you just walk properly? Why must you read the newspaper while walking!

Mitani could only keep his grievances toward the innocent passerby to himself.

A simple calculation suggested that Takeshi Iwata had earned three hundred million yen from a single film alone, hadn't he?

There was a very famous case in Japanese history known as the Three Hundred Million Yen Robbery. The reason this case remained so famous was that it had never been solved to this day.

The renowned novelist Seicho Matsumoto had even written a short story about it, collected in *The Texture of Water*, where Matsumoto smoothed out various clues and presented the truth of the incident.

Yet why was Mitani pondering over this?

Was Takeshi Iwata making movies, or was he robbing banks?!

Dammit, he had been dealt another blow.

However, Mitani's willpower was now on par with an indestructible cockroach. Though struck a blow, his spirits rose even higher.

He had to work hard to catch up to that fierce man!

Japan was a nation with a deep-rooted habit of reading newspapers, very similar to European and American countries, so office workers reading newspapers on their commute was a common sight.

Mitani soon realized that the news of *A Violent Man* hitting the billion-yen mark was merely a fraction of the news surrounding Takeshi Iwata.

"*Infernal Affairs*? Why is Director Iwata Using Buddhist Terminology for His New Work?"

"Sensational Breakthrough! Akina Nakamori to Display Exceptional Acting Skills!"

"Fierce Showdown! Iwata and Sanada, A Duel Between Men!"

Could it really be this fast?

Mitani was, after all, a figure within the entertainment industry, and he keenly sensed that the promotional campaign for the film *Infernal Affairs* was already underway.

Does this mean Takeshi Iwata's second film was about to hit the screens immediately?

It seemed the gap had not narrowed at all; instead, it had widened.

...

Takarazuka Building.

"Everyone! We have no time to hesitate! The final prime box office window of the year is fast approaching!"

"Released immediately? Isn't that a bit too rushed?"

"Time waits for no one! The conditions for a theatrical release are already more than sufficient!"

"Are we just trying to capitalize on the romantic gossip of a popular female singer?"

"Of course not! Director Iwata's previous film already grossed one billion yen! He is undoubtedly a phenomenal, genius director!"

"Fine, even if the buzz is not an issue, is the film truly that exceptional?"

"It is exceptionally, remarkably good!"

Shigeru Shikatani once again clashed with Yamauchi in the meeting room.

In truth, from a purely financial standpoint, Toho's performance in the film sector this year had been truly lackluster.

*Teito Monogatari* had achieved decent results, already pulling in a total box office of over two billion yen.

Overall, however, the film market was still dominated by pink films.

The conservative faction was reluctant to take excessive risks; after all, too many films had failed in recent years.

Failure equaled losing money.

Even an elephant of a company like Toho would bleed to death if the hemorrhaging continued.

Fortunately, Shigeru Shikatani still had a trump card up his sleeve.

Shochiku had shown great magnanimity, agreeing to distribute *Infernal Affairs*, and under Shikatani's persuasion, they had also consented to an expedited release.

Though somewhat frivolous, Kinji Fukasaku was a man of his word who accepted defeat gracefully.

Naturally, the original trade of the Yakuza was gambling, and at the gaming table, they could never afford to be ambiguous.

Since Shochiku had agreed, Toho would instantly lose face if they hesitated and asked to wait a bit longer, especially since Toho was supposed to be the primary distributor.

Immensely pleased with himself, Shikatani realized that negotiating with Shochiku first had indeed been a brilliant move.

As a middle manager at Toho, he genuinely agreed with Takeshi Iwata's philosophy of striking while the iron was hot.

Even more fortuitously, the total box office of *A Violent Man* had just crossed one billion yen!

Takeshi Iwata was merely a rookie director and a rookie actor, yet achieving such results in itself constituted a major news hook.

The public discourse might not be massive yet, but buzz was buzz nonetheless.

Coupled with the addition of Akina Nakamori...

Like many middle managers at major corporations, Shikatani had studied abroad in America, and friends from over there had sent him some intriguing tidbits.

In short, rushing the release of *Infernal Affairs* was unequivocally the correct choice!

There was still one prime release window left this year.

Christmas!

...

Tokyo.

Christmas had never been an official national holiday in Japan, but in recent years, it had grown increasingly popular.

According to official statistics of dubious origin, Christmas day was the occasion when the highest number of young men and women lost their precious virginity.

Ahem... Who would be so bored as to compile such statistics? Probably a company like Durex.

Regardless, the holiday was fiercely vibrant, and shop owners found themselves exceptionally busy.

"Kamachi, are you still planning to work part-time?"

"Yes, so I am truly sorry."

"Ah, what a pity. I've already bought the movie tickets."

"I am terribly sorry."

"Very well, then, but don't work yourself to exhaustion."

"I know."

Izumi Sakai offered repeated apologies to her senior, though she was actually using work as an excuse for refusal.

Clearly, since her senior had mentioned going to see a movie together, it would certainly not be limited to merely watching a film.

Besides, Izumi Sakai had already purchased a movie ticket earlier that day, intending to watch Takeshi Iwata's latest masterpiece.

*Infernal Affairs*.

In fact, Izumi had already secured the opportunity to release a single, meaning she was ready to make her debut.

Having previously achieved excellent results in a singing competition, though she did not win the championship, the agency sensed immense potential in her.

She truly owed a debt of gratitude to Iwata-san; it was all thanks to his advice.

The mere thought of that fierce man brought a smile to Izumi's face.

Now, off to the cinema.

"Director Iwata, could you share some thoughts on this film?"

"No matter what I say, it cannot compare to the perspective of the audience, right?"

"Sugoi! I heard it's a completely new style of gangster film."

"I simply hope to offer everyone something fresh."

On the theater screen, footage from the premiere of *Infernal Affairs* held the previous day was playing.

That fierce man, Takeshi Iwata, dressed in a suit without a tie, looked slightly shy before the reporters.

It seemed this was his first time hosting a premiere in Japan.

Thinking this, Izumi smiled.

She was truly breathtaking—possessing a pristine beauty, especially when she smiled.

Next on the screen appeared Akina.

Izumi felt herself pale in comparison; the gap between them was simply too vast.

The reporters were genuinely overbearing, persistently questioning Akina about her romantic life.

The atmosphere grew slightly awkward.

Fortunately, Shinichi Chiba and Hiroyuki Sanada, the master-apprentice duo, appeared next, alongside Miho Nakayama.

Especially when KOHHY arrived, staging a brief live performance of the theme song for *Infernal Affairs*, which also served as the theme song for *City Hunter*.

Watching intently, Izumi felt as though she were attending the premiere herself.

"Oh dear, this is bad."

She had gotten so engrossced that the movie was about to start.

Fortunately, the energetic Izumi slipped into her seat at the very last moment. Though she was slightly out of breath and her heart beat rapidly, she had not missed the film.

Right from the opening sequence...

Such incredible presence!

Izumi did not know much about tattoos, but seeing the Buddha head and the Hannya mask made her instantly feel the sheer intensity.

Subsequently, scene after scene of the film battered Izumi's mind continuously.

She seemed to lose all track of time, completely immersed in the world of *Infernal Affairs*.

Of course, she had her moments of laughter, too—seeing Kazuma Kiryu appear at the 'Shot Paradise' establishment had broken her composure entirely.

Yet as the story progressed, she increasingly realized that the seemingly comedic scene was far from simple.

So that was it!

That single scene had foreshadowed the tragic fate of the protagonist: heaven was within arm's reach, yet ultimately unreachable.

Seeing Takeshi Iwata collapse on the rooftop, facing the blue sky...

Izumi could no longer hold back her tears.

This film was magnificent!

It was bound to become a timeless classic!

Deeply satisfied after the screening, Izumi realized her eyes were red and swollen from crying, yet she felt the movie ticket was worth every single yen.

Well, just like the previous one.

Some people liked to keep their movie stubs as a tangible keepsake of a memory.

Izumi hadn't thought that deeply; she simply felt it ought to be preserved.

"Miss, would you mind helping us with a questionnaire survey?"

"Oh, this..."

She hadn't expected to encounter such a thing; of course, street surveys for new films were quite common.

Izumi was rather shy, so she stammered,

"Excellent, everything is wonderful, you can just write 'excellent' for all of it."

With that, she scurried away.

Left dumbfounded, the surveyor scratched his head.

What was wrong with that young lady? She was clearly quite pretty, so why act so eccentric?

Never mind, on to the next one.

"Miss, what did you think of *Infernal Affairs*?"

"Super explosive!"

"Huh?"

"In short, it was amazing!"

"As for the cinematography..."

"Idiot! Obviously the part where Akina wields the blade at the end!"

"And you, sir, what are your thoughts..."

"That slash—even as men, we found it immensely satisfying!"

The surveyor's subsequent work proceeded smoothly, and whatever had happened moments before was entirely forgotten.

Snow began to fall unannounced.

Izumi caught a snowflake on her fingertip, only to watch it vanish instantly.

"Arigatou, Iwata-san."

A smile bloomed on Izumi's face once more. The film *Infernal Affairs* could well serve as her Christmas gift—and quite a wonderful gift it was.