sbdcsierra Chapters 1340 and 1349: Tree friend is indeed incredibly powerful!
Chapters 1340 and 1349: Tree friend is indeed incredibly powerful!
Chapters 1340 and 1349: Tree friend is indeed incredibly powerful!
After Yoshimura Daitomo stepped off the plane, he looked up and saw the bustling scene at the port in the distance.
On the ships over there, people were continuously disembarking, and there were many more people welcoming ships at the port, making it as bustling as a large port.
Why is it so lively?
After getting into the SUV that was picking him up, Yoshimura Otomo asked Komori Masataka with some surprise,
"It doesn't seem like they're employees of our Tree Friends organization, does it?"
Today is the annual meeting of the Tree Friends Association. Employees from Tokyo and various branches have all come to Jurassic Island to watch the pre-prepared performances and attend the banquet.
However, the total number of employees in the Shuyou Group is only a little over 700, and even if you include the family members who were invited, the number is at most a little over 1,000.
Judging from the bustling port town, there are probably several thousand people on the island.
"no"
Komori Masataka explained,
"Those are probably family members of the construction workers on the island."
"Because a fireworks festival and carnival were also being held in the port town, the construction team asked Naoki-san if they could participate. Naoki-san generously invited everyone to join in the fun, so everyone invited their families to come and get together."
Although filming for the movie has already begun, the third phase of construction work on Jurassic Island has never stopped, and there has always been a construction team of several hundred people on the island.
It must be very lonely on a semi-enclosed island, so this time I invited my family to come and reunite. We brought our whole family, so it felt like there were more people.
"There must be over 5000 people on this entire island."
Yoshimura Otomo silently complained.
"It's even more lively than the Kanda Festival in Tokyo!"
Fortunately, the investment in the carnival and fireworks festival does not need to be increased, otherwise Yoshimura Otomo would be feeling the pinch again!
Upon arriving at the resort hotel, they discovered that Itō Shuichi had arrived early and brought his family along. Itō Yoshimi was chatting with Akina, while Kaori-chan was playing with Natsuka.
"Xiu-san, when did you arrive?"
Yoshimura Daitomo asked with some curiosity, because Itō Shuichi was not at the company during this period; instead, he was helping Doi Tagako's campaign for the Social Democratic Party.
"I arrived around noon." Shuichi Itō took a sip of his red wine and said with a smile, "The campaign rally in Osaka just finished, which is why I was able to find time to come. Kayo and the others arrived even earlier than me."
"I see."
Yoshimura Otomo nodded. He didn't bring his son, Yoshimura Keishin, today because the guy was traveling abroad and his wife didn't want to go, so he was the only one attending the meeting.
How's the election going?
“Very good!” Shuichi Itō smiled. “Due to the decline in the Liberal Democratic Party’s credibility, their candidates haven’t received much support. So it’s very likely that Doi-san will become Japan’s first female prime minister this time.”
Japan's first female prime minister is indeed a possibility, especially in this era of rising feminism and when women hold the highest status in Japan. It's only possible for a woman to become the head of state in the opposite extreme—when a scapegoat is needed.
The two chatted for a while, and then they noticed Naoki Nagayama coming down from upstairs.
"Otomo-san, Shuichi-san."
Naoki Nagayama greeted the two with a smile.
"The venue is all arranged. We can go now!"
"Is it all better now?"
Yoshimura Daitomo nodded.
"Alright then, but Naoki-san, are you really not going to say anything?!"
"I've already said that on such a wonderful day, we shouldn't do anything that would spoil the mood!"
Naoki Nagayama quickly waved his hand. You see, he had always disliked public speaking. Perhaps some superiors enjoyed the feeling of speaking freely in front of everyone, but he just felt awkward.
I have to give a speech at the annual opening meeting at the beginning of each year to unify the company's goals, but I can forget about it at other times!
"Ugh"
It's a bit of a pity that Yoshimura Otomo would have gone on stage to speak if there hadn't been so many outsiders present!
To be honest, he really enjoys having everyone's attention on him.
In this relaxed atmosphere, Naoki Nagayama took Natsuka from Kayi-chan and then headed to the annual meeting venue with everyone in the hotel.
Due to the large number of attendees, the performances for this year's annual meeting were held in the central auditorium of the port town. After the performances, the chefs served dishes directly to the audience. After the performances at the venue, attendees could visit the town's carnival or one of the existing venues before watching the evening fireworks display.
Overall, the program is quite diverse.
As core executives of Shuyou, Naoki Nagayama and his group naturally sat at the round table in the first row. Nearby, one could also see the company's middle and senior management, as well as several of Shuyou's most famous idol artists.
Speaking of Shizuka Kudo, Junko Sato, and Chikako Aoyama, including Akina Nakamori next to her, this venue is practically filled with most of the most popular idols in the idol industry!
With the addition of numerous artists who performed, the star power of this year-end party rivaled that of some large-scale entertainment galas!
"Naoki-san!" "Otomo-san!" "Shuichi-san, I haven't seen him much lately!" "Akina-chan is great~" "."
The arrival of Naoki Nagayama and his group naturally attracted attention, and almost everyone greeted them warmly.
After Akina sat down with Natsuka in her arms, she immediately attracted the attention of many female celebrities!
"So this is flower jam~"
Aoyama Chikako was more familiar with Nagayama Naoki's family, and she came over as soon as she saw Natsuka wearing a cute mascot coat.
"So cute! Look at those eyebrows and eyes, they're just like Naoki-san's! And that nose is totally Akina-chan's!"
"Yes, yes. She'll definitely be beautiful when she grows up!"
"."
Hearing others praise her daughter, Akina was naturally very happy, but she still said:
"Stop praising me! Look how embarrassed Hua Jiang is from all the compliments!"
Xia Hua can already understand a lot of words, and after everyone showered her with compliments, a big smile appeared on her face. Then, seeing that they were all very pretty older sisters, she actually reached out her arms, wanting to hug them.
This naturally won everyone's favor, and everyone took turns holding the little one.
However, after going around once, Xiaoxiahua refused to get down from Sakai Izumi's arms.
"Eh?"
She lifted Xiaoxia Hua up with both hands, and the little one hugged Sakai Izumi's neck without any hesitation. They looked very affectionate. Sakai Izumi was a little shy because the child was clinging to her, but she seemed even happier.
"It seems like Hua Jiang doesn't want to let go."
"Oh dear, it seems that Hua Jiang likes spring water sauce!"
Akina smiled and joked,
"I've never seen her so affectionate towards strangers!"
The others around the table laughed and teased Izumi Sakai, saying things like she was very popular with kids.
Naoki Nagayama glanced over during a break in his conversation with someone else, and said with a smile:
"It's said that children are very perceptive, and being able to sense other people's personalities must mean that Izumi-chan's inner gentleness has been discovered!"
Unexpectedly, these words immediately drew a barrage of criticism from a group of female celebrities.
Chikako Aoyama feigned anger:
"What do you mean, Naoki-san? Aren't I a kind person?!"
"Yes, yes. Aren't we gentle?" "How could Naoki-san say that!" "Isn't that bullying?!"
"."
One woman is like five hundred ducks, and there are 123456 of them here. And they're all young and beautiful girls, so they immediately started chattering and making a ruckus.
Akina calmly tried to dissuade him, saying, "Oh dear, Naoki-san didn't mean that." But her expression was one of watching a good show, her eyes gleaming with a sly smile, like a little fox!
Seeing that he had stirred up trouble, Naoki Nagayama quickly raised his hands in surrender:
"Okay, okay, everyone is so kind, I'm the one who's not kind!"
"I shouldn't have joined the women's chat group!"
He then turned around and went back to chatting with his friends. The female celebrities, seeing that Naoki Nagayama had given up, resumed their conversation as if they had won a battle.
The camera shifts to Naoki Nagayama's side, and as soon as he returns, Shuichi Itō says with a smile:
"Haha, that's rare! Naoki-san got talked about by the women~"
"."
Naoki Nagayama was somewhat speechless.
"I was just saying that Izumi Sakai has a gentle personality~"
Itō Shuichi laughed:
"Haha, praising only one girl out of a group is just putting down the others! No wonder you get all the criticism."
Yoshimura Otomo added fuel to the fire from the sidelines:
"Yeah. It seems like Naoki-san's charm has diminished since getting married! No, I mean his responsiveness has decreased~"
Looking at his two mischievous friends, Naoki Nagayama was momentarily speechless, and at the same time, he was reflecting on whether his emotional intelligence towards women had declined due to lack of experience.
Just then, the time for the annual meeting arrived, and the venue was already full. So the invited host went on stage:
Welcome everyone to the Shuyou Group Annual Meeting.
"Generally, the presidents of other companies would give a speech at the annual meeting, but it's different for Kiyu. President Naoki Nagayama told me not to do anything to spoil the fun when everyone is happy."
"So, we are about to officially begin the annual meeting's performance! Let us thank Chairman Naoki Nagayama!!!"
The host knew how to create a lively atmosphere; as soon as he said that, thunderous applause erupted in the hall.
Those sitting below, whether they were employees of the tree-loving organization or family members who had come with them, all applauded sincerely for such a superior. Nobody wanted to listen to that long and tedious speech!
The world has suffered from the constant nagging of leaders!
"first!"
A dozen seconds later, the host picked up the microphone.
"Let's listen to the hardest rock music ever and experience the most explosive opening performance!"
"Let's welcome X-Japan!"
The stage lights dimmed briefly, and then as the curtain rose, a unique band appeared directly under the spotlight.
With their brightly colored hair, studded leather jackets, extreme smoky makeup, and exaggerated guitars and drums, their unconventional entrance immediately reveals the essence of this rock band: a visual kei heavy metal rock band!
Upon seeing lead singer Yoshiki Hayashi, Naoki Nagayama quickly turned to Izumi Sakai, who was still holding Natsuka, and said:
"Spring Water Sauce, cover Flower Sauce's ears!!"
"?!"
At first, Izumi Sakai didn't quite understand, but when X-Japan played the first note, she immediately covered the little guy's ears with both hands!
The intense rhythm stunned the entire audience; what kind of performance starts with heavy metal?! You know, the line between heavy metal and pure noise is incredibly thin!
However, X-Japan is still a pretty good rock band, and in this era where rock music is very popular, they quickly stirred up the emotions of the audience and made the atmosphere at the venue very exciting.
These energetic young men, though somewhat unruly and unrestrained, truly showed their love for rock and roll!
Many of the young people sitting below were actually attracted.
At the table in the first row, Shizuka Kudo, the hottest rebellious idol right now, was staring intently at the lead singer on stage, a man with long hair and an androgynous appearance—Yoshiki Hayashi!
Speaking of which, it seems that she did have a relationship with Shizuka Kudo in the past. However, with the support of her fans, Shizuka Kudo has become a top idol several years ahead of schedule. The two should not have crossed paths, but they met at this annual party.
The hardcore rock performance on stage ended after a burst of intense drumbeats. The contrast between extreme noise and extreme silence silenced the audience for a few seconds before they began to applaud.
Naoki Nagayama saw lead singer Yoshiki Hayashi grab the restless member Taiji Sawada and make him bow in return. Only then did he remember that X-Japan's custom was to perform wild acts like breathing fire or smashing guitars after a performance!
Fortunately, this time they knew what was important.
If they go berserk at the Tree Friends' annual party, the entire entertainment industry will probably not tolerate this band anymore!
Wow~~ What an amazing rock music performance!
The host returned to the stage, wiping away sweat. He had been worried that the lead singer wouldn't be able to control the members, because he had broken a guitar during rehearsals. Luckily, this time they didn't!
"Is everyone getting hyped up?!"
"Now, please welcome our thrilling and exciting acrobatic performance!"
"."
As light music began to play, the specially hired acrobatic performers started to take the stage.
Naoki Nagayama turned to look at his daughter and found that the little one was no longer covering her ears, but was sitting on Akina's lap eating fruit while watching the performance on stage.
"Is Hua Jiang scared just now?"
"No~" Akina shook her head, "Izumi-chan covered her ears!"
"That's good. This kind of rock music is definitely not suitable for kids!"
"Haha, I find it very novel~"
"."
Naoki Nagayama felt that he was out of touch with the musical tastes of the Showa era.
He felt that the performance just now was not as good as the thrilling acrobatic performance on stage now!
"The annual meeting of Shuyou Group has started again!"
"Where did you go this time, after being on a cruise ship last time?"
"I heard it's on the island where Naoki Nagayama filmed his movie, Jurassic Island!"
"They even invited many famous idols and celebrities to perform!"
"That's so extravagant!"
"It must be because the tree friend is too capable!"
"."
Similar discussions were taking place in Tokyo, with many people concerned about the annual tree-loving party, and well-informed individuals enthusiastically discussing specific events such as carnivals and fireworks displays.
It's important to understand that, from an outsider's perspective, the extravagance and grandeur of a company's annual meeting are a reflection of its image.
Just like migrant workers who have worked hard all year, when they return home for the Spring Festival, they always wear their best clothes and buy the most abundant New Year's goods to present a proper appearance to their fellow villagers!
For the company, such a show is not actually to satisfy the boss's selfish desires, but has a real function!
On a smaller scale, it can make company employees happy and help to build team unity.
On a larger scale, in the cutthroat world of business, how can a company project an image of strength and prosperity to its competitors and friends?
Could it even improve external perceptions of the company and increase its valuation?
You can't just show them the financial statements, so you can use this method of spending money to demonstrate...
So much so that some companies even invite the media to cover their annual meetings!
This year's annual meeting of tree enthusiasts was also held in the eyes of peers and outsiders, allowing everyone to see the strength of tree enthusiasts. The fact that hundreds or thousands of people went to the annual meeting was itself a demonstration.
"As expected, the Tree Friends Group has grown into a behemoth!"
"From now on, we'll have to stay far away from you!"
"."
Such thoughts appeared in the minds of some people without prior arrangement, and even took root in the subconscious of the Japanese, just like large conglomerates such as Mitsubishi, Fuji, Mitsui, and Sumitomo.
(End of this chapter)