January 10, 1996.
On the second day of work after New Year, Aoki Haruhi and Nao Tsuda had dinner at home in the evening.
Although they were already married and naturalized, nothing seemed to have changed.
Their relationship was quite casual and free.
Even now, Aoki Haruhi and Nao Tsuda hadn't discussed buying a villa to settle down in as their New Home.
They had sukiyaki for dinner.
Their sukiyaki looked a bit extravagant, with many ingredients, including beef and baby squid, which Nao Tsuda loved.
There was also Nasu Kinoko, which Aoki Haruhi liked.
Eating sukiyaki in winter truly brings a sense of warmth and happiness.
Sukiyaki is a Japanese dish, specifically referring to "sweet soy sauce hotpot with beef dipped in raw egg."
There are various ways to eat sukiyaki. Japanese people usually add vegetables and tofu to the pot, while Chinese people prefer to eat more meat.
This couple's tastes were exactly opposite.
Nao Tsuda preferred meat, while Aoki Haruhi preferred vegetables.
However, this kind of complementary pairing actually felt quite good.
At least neither of them would leave anything behind due to picky eating.
Aoki Haruhi took a bite of Nasu Kinoko and said.
A volcanic heat erupted in his mouth, mixed with the flavor of Nasu Kinoko.
It was too delicious.
Hotpot is truly something one can never get tired of.
Perhaps tomorrow, he could try making a douchi hotpot, a popular dish from his hometown of Guizhou in China, from his past life?
Actually, Japan's natto is quite similar to douchi.
Both are fermented soybean products, but their completely different textures and properties are due to different fermentation processes.
Generally speaking, natto fermentation only uses a single natto strain;
While douchi fermentation uses multiple strains, including Mucor, Rhizopus, and Aspergillus. Additionally, natto is sticky, smells strong, and tastes slightly sweet;
Whereas douchi has intact, loose granules, a harder texture, and a delicious, moderately salty taste.
People who enjoy douchi would also find natto delicious.
But Aoki Haruhi wasn't sure if Nao Tsuda, who usually liked natto, would accept douchi hotpot.
The two ate in silence for a while.
"I have a plan," Aoki Haruhi said, looking up.
"It's not a wedding plan, is it?" Nao Tsuda, sitting opposite him, asked with a hint of nervousness.
"No."
"Okay."
Nao Tsuda breathed a sigh of relief.
The wedding was too much trouble for her. It involved inviting many people, and besides, the company's current business kept her too busy. Tsuda hadn't yet decided when to hold the wedding.
However, she and Aoki Haruhi had reached a consensus: this year, 1996, they would at least negotiate a common vacation to finalize the matter.
It probably wasn't just about the two of them; they also had to consider when the big shots in their respective friend circles would be available.
Since Aoki Haruhi said the plan wasn't wedding-related, Nao Tsuda could only assume he wanted to discuss work matters.
"What is it then?" Nao Tsuda asked casually.
Aoki Haruhi smiled, lowered his head, and scooped a mouthful of rice. "Our branch in the United States recently released a game called 'Eternal Ashes,' didn't it?"
"Mm."
"Then, I found a problem," Aoki Haruhi said, "The team in the United States is excellent in every way. Their creativity and design sense in game are world-class.
And they are very good at building frameworks.
This time, 'Eternal Ashes' is a high-freedom fantasy epic world, and within this epic world, they have also constructed many interesting races."
"Mm, so?" Nao Tsuda looked at him.
"The only problem is that the team lacks strong scriptwriters, so even with a grand world narrative, it lacks plots that move people."
"But isn't that enough?" Nao Tsuda silently put a mouthful of rice into her mouth, chewing slowly, "After all, the game's selling point isn't the plot."
"That's true, but the plot and world-view presentation are actually a very important part of the players' experience."
"So, are you planning to transfer some talented scriptwriters from Japan? Is it Gen Urobuchi or Maeda Jun?" Nao Tsuda smiled with her chopsticks in her mouth.
The wooden chopsticks clinked against her teeth, making them appear even whiter.
And because she was eating sukiyaki, Nao Tsuda's fair cheeks showed a cherry-like pink hue.
Especially her soft, pink lips, which made one want to take a bite.
It was strange, Aoki Haruhi usually didn't feel this way.
But after a brief thought, he immediately realized—
It was the chopsticks.
The chopsticks had a strong guiding effect. Bitten between Nao Tsuda's teeth, they acted as a large signpost, drawing one's gaze to them.
The strong color contrast between her lip color and the chopsticks instantly revealed Tsuda's charming side, focusing Aoki Haruhi's attention on her lips.
As soon as she finished speaking, Nao Tsuda seemed to remember something. "Oh, no, Japan culture and Western culture are quite different. It would be hard to find an Author who can write that kind of Western fantasy, wouldn't it?"
Yes, it is.
Not to mention that what Aoki Haruhi wanted was a world of warcraft-level epic game script.
"So," Aoki Haruhi said, "I plan to go to the United States to invite some talented Authors to write future game plots, and incidentally, also publish fan fiction to mutually increase influence."
"Mm. That's good."
Nao Tsuda nodded.
She was quite familiar with this process.
For example, the onmyoji series released by Pokeni was adapted into films by their DUN.
And it achieved very good results.
If it weren't for Aoki Haruhi later not continuing to cooperate with DUN, Nao Tsuda actually wanted to adapt all of their galgames into fan films for release.
"Are you interested?" Aoki Haruhi asked, "Pokeni and DUN can cooperate. After the game and novels are out, we can license the film and television rights to you."
Nao Tsuda paused, silently put down her chopsticks, and rolled her eyes at him.
Goodness, he had thought that far ahead?
Discussing work between husband and wife at home always felt a bit strange.
But if you were to hold a formal meeting at the company, it would feel even stranger.
"Of course, I am," Nao Tsuda was quite interested.
But the next second, Nao Tsuda frowned again.
"But, I see the races in your game are quite strange. I don't even know what kind of film we could make."
The onmyoji theme was still manageable; no matter what, it ultimately depicted people.
And DUN could combine it with the plot to make it very beautiful.
But what the hell is this 'Eternal Ashes'? Plant people, orcs, not human… Nao Tsuda couldn't imagine it.
It felt a bit beyond her acceptable limits.
Of course, it's not impossible that some people in this world enjoy watching movies with such themes.
"Uh..."
Aoki Haruhi looked dismayed.
"No blue films."
"I mean to make it into a proper epic blockbuster."
Emmmm... Thinking of the epic blockbusters HBO made, Aoki Haruhi felt it might not be that 'proper' after all.
"Huh?"
This was quite unexpected for Nao Tsuda.
Because DUN was originally a company primarily focused on the blue industry, their habitual thinking would naturally be to find a group of excellent teachers for filming.
So, upon hearing what Aoki Haruhi said, Nao Tsuda's first instinct was that it should be made into a cosplay-type film, with teachers wearing wigs and strange costumes, portraying the game's characters.
Now you're telling me you want to make this game into a proper TV series.
And an epic blockbuster at that?!
"Cough, cough."
Nao Tsuda coughed twice, picked up a glass of water from the side, and took a sip to calm herself down.
She calmed down and thought carefully.
"You want us to expand into Europe and America, like HBO?"
HBO was founded quite early, in 1972, but it was primarily a broadcast channel. It only started producing its own films and TV shows in 1980.
Since then, HBO has been committed to producing high-quality film and television content, using audience ratings and preferences as criteria for subsequent content production.
Simply put—
Everything is performance-driven.
If audiences like it, the series can continue production; if audiences don't like it and ratings are low, it can be canceled.
It was precisely this policy that guaranteed the quality of HBO's film and television productions.
Previously, HBO focused on producing high-quality films, but recently it began investing heavily in TV series. The newly aired 'Oz' immediately became a favorite among audiences, sparking a viewing frenzy.
As Nao Tsuda, who had a deep connection with the film and television industry, she naturally knew all about this.
At the same time, she silently marveled—
Her husband was truly well-informed and had exceptional foresight.
He managed to connect things that were so far apart and seemingly unrelated.
Before this, Nao Tsuda had never imagined what it would be like to turn a game into a TV series.
"Mm," Aoki Haruhi nodded.
His wife was truly smart and well-informed, understanding everything with just a hint.
You become Japan's HBO, and we become Japan's Netflix.
Netflix, the world's largest streaming website in his previous life, was also known for producing and broadcasting high-quality film and television dramas without hesitation, thereby winning the love of many audiences.
They spent money without blinking, often pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into it. The only thing they worried about was the quality of the TV series you produced.
Netflix hasn't been established yet, so Aoki Haruhi might be able to successfully intercept them.
Of course, before that, you need to be prepared to burn money.
You even have to face the risk of sanctions from the United States.
Other fields are actually fine, but in the film and television cultural field, the Americans hold a tight grip and will hardly let you get involved.
However, Aoki Haruhi's goal has always been global.
A man with the world in his heart would not avoid risks.
Once this world-class streaming media is established, regardless of its future influence, the channel fees and game promotion effects alone would be very considerable.
Linked with game, this combination punch would be extraordinarily powerful... Considering that Nao Tsuda was his wife, Aoki Haruhi let DUN take a piece of the pie; otherwise, he could have completely sought cooperation with American companies.
After listening to Aoki Haruhi's suggestion, Nao Tsuda smiled silently.
"It sounds very impressive."
"If it can be done, DUN would certainly be willing."
"No, not DUN," Aoki Haruhi said, "Change to another company."
"What do you mean?" Nao Tsuda looked at him in confusion.
"It's like how we separately spun off the internet into a subsidiary," Aoki Haruhi analyzed, "Currently, DUN's blue industry is very developed, creating countless value for DUN.
But at the same time, it also brings a very important and fatal problem—
Any film or television work produced by DUN will somewhat give audiences a bad impression.
Connecting them with blue films."
"So, my suggestion is, Nao, you should establish a new company yourself," Aoki Haruhi said, "Or we two can partner to open a new company specifically for producing high-quality film and television works.
Cut ties with DUN, get rid of the blue shadow.
In the future, it can even be listed independently."
According to Aoki Haruhi's idea, this company might not only engage in film and television works in the future, but also novels, comics, and corresponding peripheral products.
Aoki Haruhi never lacked products; this company could potentially become very large.
Nao Tsuda was slightly stunned, then smiled with relief.
Feeling proud and honored for the man in front of her.
You've graduated.
Aoki Haruhi was indeed the man she had set her sights on. He learned quickly, and had already exceeded her expectations, sometimes even proposing ideas that were truly visionary and insightful.
Just by listening, Nao Tsuda knew that Aoki Haruhi was right.
"Okay," Nao Tsuda said with a smile.
It would be really interesting to run a brand new company together with her beloved.
What should this company be called?
Miss Moon and Mr. River?
Thinking of this, Nao Tsuda couldn't help but smile.
Her eyes curved into crescents, looking absolutely adorable.
"Your idea is very good; I have no reason not to join," Nao Tsuda said.
"But, who do you plan to find to be the game's scriptwriter?"
This was something Nao Tsuda hadn't quite figured out yet.
Because all of this was predicated on the game 'Eternal Ashes' becoming a big success, and its corresponding plot and original novel being sufficiently brilliant.
Otherwise, everything would be a castle in the air, completely unrealistic.
For Nao Tsuda, money was not an issue, actors were not an issue, filming was not an issue.
The problem lay in whether there was a sufficiently excellent script.
"Tolkien?" Nao Tsuda giggled.
Tolkien is the Author of the lord of the rings trilogy. This series of books was later adapted into films, also known as 'the lord of the rings' when translated into China.
He can be said to be a very remarkable legendary Author in Britain, with strong influence.
But Tolkien had passed away more than 20 years ago.
"Uh huh~ No," Aoki Haruhi laughed.
What kind of dark humor was this?
If possible, Aoki Haruhi would have been very willing to invite him to write.
"But the answer is very close."
...Aoki Haruhi's ideal candidate was a fervent fan of Tolkien.
A legendary writer who would become a household name with 'a song of ice and fire'—
George Martin.
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