booktalesy Chapter 330 Welcoming the Jubilee
Chapter 330 Welcoming the Jubilee
Chapter 330 Welcoming the Millennium
In late December, the Christmas spirit quietly filled the streets of Los Angeles. The California sun was still shining brightly, and there was a refreshing coolness in the air.
Inside the headquarters building of Kitahara's branch, the post-production work on "Inception" was fully completed. The master tapes were sealed, the posters were released, and the initial publicity strategy was progressing steadily according to Kitahara Shin's wishes. After being tense for more than half a year, Kitahara Shin finally relaxed. He sat at his desk, looking through the itinerary for his private flight to Tokyo, preparing to return to his long-lost Asian home base.
Just then, the solid wood double doors to the office were pushed open by Secretary Xiang Tian. A rare, slightly mysterious smile appeared on Xiang Tian's face.
"President, two special guests have just arrived at Los Angeles Airport. They want to discuss the details of the Asian tour that will start in a few days. The motorcade has already picked them up and taken them to your Beverly Hills."
Upon hearing this, Kitahara Shin raised an eyebrow slightly, a gentle smile flashing in his deep eyes.
Discussing an Asian tour? That's just a pretext. With the Kitahara Group's advanced multinational communication network, what kind of tour plan couldn't be resolved via video conference? Why insist on having two Asian divas at the peak of their careers personally fly across the Pacific to Hollywood?
This clearly shows that his wife at home missed him and used work as an excuse to travel across the ocean to visit him on set.
Half an hour later, Kitahara Shin's black bulletproof Maybach drove into the sprawling private mansion in Beverly Hills.
As soon as I pushed open the heavy door of the villa, a familiar, elegant perfume scent wafted towards me.
Akina Nakamori and Izumi Sakai stood in the spacious living room. They had just shed the fatigue of their journey and changed into comfortable loungewear. Akina wore a beige knitted cardigan, while Izumi wore a simple light blue shirt and jeans. Stripped of their dazzling stage personas, they were now just two ordinary women who had traveled halfway around the world, their hearts and minds completely devoted to their men.
"Why did you suddenly come over without giving me any notice?" Kitahara Shin casually took off his suit jacket and handed it to the maid. He stepped forward and embraced his two weary-looking female confidantes.
"How can there be any surprise if I tell you beforehand?" Akina tilted her head back, her clear, doe-like eyes brimming with unyielding longing, a hint of coquettishness playing on her lips. "Besides, someone's been in seclusion for over half a year, barely even calling. If we don't fly over here ourselves to check up on things, how will we know if there's a Hollywood blonde beauty hiding in this mansion?"
Izumi leaned against Kitahara Shin's other side, gazing at him with equally gentle eyes, and reached out to gently straighten the collar of his shirt.
"There's nothing here but cold, lifeless film reels," Kitahara Shin chuckled, placing a kiss on each of their foreheads. "Since you're here, consider it a vacation. I'll show you around."
For the next two days, Kitahara Shin completely put aside his work and became a personal guide.
He first showed Akina and Izumi around the top-tier mansion located halfway up Beverly Hills. The enormous infinity pool seemed to blend seamlessly with the distant Los Angeles skyline, and the private wine cellar was filled with top-quality vintage wines from around the world. But what impressed the two divas the most was not this material luxury.
The next day, Kitahara Shin drove them to the Burbank film studio.
When Akina and Izumi stood in front of the ten-story-high, tens-of-tons-heavy steel rotating corridor, and when they saw the half of a replica of a Parisian street scene, now reduced to ruins, the two divas were so shocked by the industrial spectacle that they were speechless.
They finally realized firsthand just how vast and incredible a film empire their men had built in Hollywood over the past six months. This absolute dominance, transcending culture and geography, filled them with an unparalleled sense of pride and security.
To reward his confidante who had traveled from afar, Kitahara Shin deliberately canceled all business engagements that evening and completely closed off his Beverly Hills mansion.
He hired a renowned Michelin three-star chef in France, along with a whole team of professional chefs, to provide them with private chef services in the villa's open kitchen.
The finest salmon roe is laid on a crisp, thin crust, gleaming enticingly; Alba white truffles are carefully shaved into thin slices by the chef and sprinkled like snowflakes on a rich risotto; and A5 Wagyu beef, slow-roasted for hours, reveals a perfect pink cross-section when sliced, melting in your mouth.
The restaurant was dimly lit, with silver candlesticks casting a warm, flickering glow. A gramophone played soothing vinyl jazz music.
The three sat around a long table, enjoying top-quality food and drinking 1990 Romanée-Conti that Kitahara Shin had brought from the cellar.
There was no outside noise, no paparazzi cameras. After months of high-pressure work, this private, luxurious, and warm dinner allowed Kitahara Shin to completely relax. The restaurant was occasionally filled with the crisp laughter of Akina and the gentle murmur of the spring water.
After dinner, Quanshui went back to the master bedroom on the second floor to take a bath and rest.
Standing by the floor-to-ceiling window on the first floor, Akina held a wine glass, the ruby-red liquid inside swirling gently in the moonlight. She gazed silently at the dazzling, star-studded Los Angeles cityscape outside, her eyes gradually becoming distant and wistful.
Kitahara Shin walked up from behind, stretched out his arms, and gently pulled her soft body into his embrace, resting his chin naturally on the crook of her neck.
"What are you thinking about?" Kitahara Shin's voice was deep and gentle.
Akina leaned back, feeling the steady heartbeat against his broad chest, and sighed softly, "It feels like a dream. Looking at the lights outside, I suddenly realized that more than ten years have passed in the blink of an eye. We're about to step into the 21st century."
Kitahara Shin hugged her waist tighter, a gentle smile playing on his lips: "Time really does fly. But looking back, all the things we've been through together, from your debut to reaching the top in Asia, and now standing here—every single one of these memories is wonderful, isn't it?"
Hearing the whispers in her ear, Akina turned around and naturally wrapped her arms around Kitahara Shin's neck. Her beautiful eyes sparkled with a mixture of mischief and deep affection as she chuckled and said, "Yes, so many memories. I still clearly remember back in the TV station backstage, when you were still an unknown newcomer. I was overwhelmed by the sheer volume of gigs and wanted to sneak a cigarette in a corner of the fire escape. You caught me as soon as I took out my lighter. Instead of telling everyone, you covered for me and got me out of the situation. Later, I gave you that Zippo lighter."
Akina stared intently into Kitahara Shin's eyes, her tone deliberately probing and playful: "Speaking of which, that's an old item from over ten years ago. You wouldn't have left it gathering dust in some drawer corner by now, would you?"
This was clearly a surprise inspection. In this world, perhaps only Akina Nakamori would dare to question this multinational tycoon so openly.
Kitahara Shin remained completely calm, without even a flicker of emotion in his eyes.
He simply smiled slightly, freeing one hand to reach into his suit trouser pocket. With a thought, he directly accessed the system's vast equipment inventory and retrieved the long-dormant item.
The next second, Kitahara Shin pulled his hand back and slowly opened his palm in front of Akina.
A silver Zippo lighter, its surface bearing a few scratches of age yet polished to a spotless shine, lay quietly in his palm.
Akina's breath caught in her throat.
Looking at the familiar lighter, her initially joking and tentative gaze was instantly overwhelmed by a massive, tsunami-like tenderness and emotion. She couldn't believe that a man worth hundreds of billions, who handled countless international cases every day, had actually carried that small item she had casually given him when he was down on his luck with him for over a decade!
It takes immense care and deep affection to cherish something so meticulously.
Akina's eyes instantly reddened, tears welling up. She reached out her slightly trembling hand and gently stroked the cold metal lighter, as if touching a tangible microcosm of the past ten years they had spent together.
And at this very moment, Akina's emotions were in turmoil.
Suddenly, a system notification popped up on Kitahara Shin's retina, visible only to him.
[A strong emotional resonance was detected with the bond target, Akina Nakamori.]
[Special Token Equipment: The Songstress's Silver Zippo (Purple Quality) triggers the emotional sublimation condition.]
[Equipment evolving — Evolution complete!]
[Current Quality Update: Gold (Legendary)]
[New exclusive gold-tier affix: Gift of Life's Bonds.]
[Effect Description: Wearing this item will continuously optimize the genetic activity of both the host and their bonded partner. Offspring conceived during this period will inherit 100% of the best dominant genes from both parents. The offspring will possess a perfect immune system, superhuman physical potential, and an extremely high initial intelligence threshold.]
Looking at the golden light that appeared on the system panel and the new entry that was nothing short of miraculous, Kitahara Shin was stunned for a moment, which was rare for him.
He recently returned to Japan and had just discussed welcoming a new life with Akina and Izumi. Then today, Akina's emotional outburst transformed this purple-clad "lighter" into a gold-clad one, perfectly providing an ultimate halo guaranteeing perfect genetics for their offspring.
The system's reward came at just the right time, paving the way for the future heir of the Kitahara family with even the most basic gene optimization.
Kitahara Shin snapped out of his reverie, looked at the silver lighter in his hand that seemed to have become even more lustrous, and couldn't help but shake his head with a smile.
Akina, still immersed in her emotions, noticed Kitahara Shin suddenly stare blankly before shaking his head and chuckling. Sniffing, she asked, somewhat puzzled, "What's wrong? Judging from your expression, are you finding my old lighter not classy enough? But speaking of which—I've noticed you almost never smoke outside of social engagements, so why do you carry it with you every day?"
Kitahara Shin put away the lighter, put his hands back around Akina's slender waist, and pressed her tightly against his chest.
He lowered his head, looking intently into Akina's eyes, and said softly in a deep, magnetic voice, "Because you will always have a place in my heart. Carrying you with me feels like you're always by my side; I can touch you whenever I put my hand in my pocket."
This simple yet soul-stirring love confession instantly shattered Akina's last psychological defenses.
Two blushes rose to her cheeks, and her heart pounded wildly like a deer's.
Even though they had known each other for eleven years, and were intimately familiar with each other's habits and souls, Akina still felt her heart race and her cheeks flush when she heard Kitahara Shin's words. She felt that same fluttering feeling that comes with being in the throes of new love, when a relationship has just begun.
Why do I feel this way?
The answer is actually quite simple. They both have top-tier careers that have swept across their respective fields, far from the typical couple who are glued together 24/7, their passion worn down by the mundane realities of daily life. The distance between them and their independent, successful careers keep their relationship ever-shining and fresh in each other's eyes. Every long separation transforms their reunions into a passionate, intense experience. It is precisely this infrequent contact that has kept their relationship at its most fervent and intense stage, enduring for over a decade.
"Nobu-kun—" Akina murmured, tiptoed, and offered her red lips.
Outside the window is the dazzling night view of Los Angeles, while inside is an atmosphere of deep and unspoken affection.
Kitahara Shin bent down, picked Akina up in his arms, and turned to walk towards the master bedroom on the second floor.
Pushing open the bedroom door, Quanshui was sitting on the edge of the bed wearing a silk nightgown. Looking at the two people who walked in, a gentle and shy look appeared in her clear, spring-like eyes.
The next morning.
The Los Angeles sun shone exceptionally brightly. Kitahara Shin didn't let the two divas rest in the mansion; instead, he arranged a convoy to take them directly to Silicon Valley, a few hours' drive from Los Angeles.
The convoy stopped in front of a closed R&D center with an extremely understated exterior and no company logo.
This is a secret technology laboratory under the North American branch of the Kitahara Group. Apart from the core research and development personnel, the outside world has no idea what projects are being carried out here.
Kitahara Shin swiped the highest-level access card and, with Akina and Izumi looking on with curiosity, entered a dark room that was about half the size of a basketball court and completely covered by black light-absorbing material.
"Why did you bring us here? To watch movie special effects?" Quanshui asked softly, looking around at the complex server racks and the dense array of optical probes overhead.
"I'm going to show you something—the ultimate weapon that can overturn the rules of stage performance in the 21st century." Kitahara Shin walked to the control panel and snapped his fingers.
The laboratory technicians immediately switched off the power.
All the lights in the dark room went out.
Immediately afterwards, several black metal discs placed on the floor in the center of the room suddenly emitted several beams of eerie blue light.
These beams of light converged and refracted in mid-air.
To the utter astonishment of Akina and Izumi, a three-dimensional image composed of countless points of light materialized out of thin air!
It was a lifelike human figure that could be clearly seen with the naked eye without needing any 3D glasses.
The person in the video is none other than Akina Nakamori herself. She is wearing a gorgeous stage outfit and making various singing gestures in mid-air.
As the technology advanced, the background of the images began to shift wildly. One moment it was a vast cosmic sea of stars, the next it transformed into a virtual castle blooming with countless flowers. These backgrounds blended perfectly with the figures, creating a dreamlike beauty that transcended the limits of reality.
"What is this?!" Akina covered her mouth, staring at the "herself" in mid-air, and took a half step back in shock.
"The first prototype of holographic projection technology." Kitahara Shin walked to their side, looking at the spectacle in mid-air. "This is the trump card I played in Silicon Valley with the money I earned in Hollywood. It can make light diffract in the air, creating a true three-dimensional illusion."
Kitahara Shin turned his head and looked at the two divas who were still in a daze, his eyes filled with confidence that he could control the future.
"There's less than a week left until the last day of 1999. I've already had the Tokyo headquarters book the largest outdoor stadium in all of Asia, and the stage framework is already set up." Kitahara Shin's voice echoed in the darkened room. "On New Year's Eve, I don't want you to just sing an ordinary concert. I want to use this technology to create a millennium spectacle for you that is unprecedented and will never be repeated."
Looking at the holographic spectacle before them and listening to Kitahara Shin's blueprint, Akina and Izumi's hearts began to pound uncontrollably.
As performers at the pinnacle of the music industry, they are all too aware of the devastating visual impact this technology would have on the audience once it was brought to the stage. This has long transcended the realm of ordinary concerts; it is creating a miracle.
They looked at each other and saw an unprecedented fervor and anticipation in each other's eyes.
Meanwhile, across the ocean in Tokyo, Japan, the fuse of fervor had already been ignited by the upcoming cross-century concert.
December 24, the eve of the official ticket sales.
The temperature in Tokyo was nearing freezing late at night, but the queues outside several large physical ticket offices in Shibuya and Shinjuku stretched for three blocks! Countless fans, bundled up in thick down jackets and clutching steaming thermos flasks, shivered in the cold wind, yet not a single one was willing to leave the queue. Even the police maintaining order, who had set up yellow police tape, could not stop the ever-growing crowds.
It was nine o'clock the next morning.
The moment tickets were issued, it was as if all of Japan's telephone booking lines had been subjected to a DDoS attack, with tens of thousands of phone lines simultaneously emitting a despairing "beep beep" busy tone. The ticketing website's servers crashed and went black after running for less than twenty seconds.
Eighty thousand stadium tickets were sold out in ten minutes!
-
Outside a used record store in Akihabara, several young male university students who failed to secure tickets broke down in tears. Meanwhile, on the black market, scalpers were driving up prices wildly; VIP tickets that originally cost 20,000 yen skyrocketed to 500,000 or even millions of yen, yet remained in a state of "high price but no market." True die-hard fans simply couldn't bear to resell these epoch-making tickets.
This almost pathological fanaticism quickly spread to every corner of society.
In the Shinbashi izakaya at dusk, smoke swirled around the room. Several middle-aged, balding office workers, dressed in wrinkled Brazilian suits, watched the news on television with reddened eyes.
"Akina-chan—I got through my heartbreak in college listening to her 'Ten Commandments.'" A slightly tipsy middle-aged man took a big gulp of draft beer, his eyes a little moist. "More than ten years later, she's actually going to share the stage with Izumi Sakai for New Year's Eve. This isn't a concert; this is my whole youth!"
"Who says otherwise!" My colleague across from me slammed his hand on the table in agreement. "My daughter listens to Sakai's songs on repeat every day. The three of us pooled our year-end bonuses and barely managed to get two grandstand tickets from a scalper. My wife is planning to take our daughter to see it. It's worth it to see them both on stage together even once in a lifetime!"
Not only ordinary citizens, but the entire Tokyo media circle was also in an uproar.
Every day, helicopters from major television stations circle above Asia’s largest outdoor stadium, trying to capture even a glimpse of the interior stage setup, only to find that the entire stage area is completely covered by a huge black curtain, with security levels comparable to a national treasury.
The Yomiuri Shimbun's front page featured a giant double concept poster of the two divas, accompanied by the eye-catching caption: "The ultimate celebration at the end of the century! How will these two queens, who have dominated the Asian music scene for a decade, step into a new era?"
On some of the hottest late-night talk shows, seasoned music critics and entertainment industry bigwigs have been arguing fiercely.
"An outdoor venue for 80,000 people! To ensure a good sound field in every corner, the cost of the sound equipment alone is astronomical!"
"Even more crucial is the stage design! President Kitahara has always liked to break with convention. Do you think he might use a helicopter to parachute in? Or create a giant artificial waterfall on stage? After all, these two divas are legends who have captivated an entire era; ordinary lifts and fireworks simply wouldn't be worthy of this performance!"
On every street corner, everyone was buzzing with discussion. Exaggerated speculations were rampant. Everyone was imagining what kind of grand, luxurious stage that man, Asia's top dream weaver, would prepare for his women.
All eyes and all expectations are focused on the upcoming New Year's Eve.
But even the most imaginative and daring industry veterans could never have predicted that the man orchestrating this epic show in Hollywood was not preparing any traditional physical special effects at all.
Rather, it is a technological nuclear explosion capable of delivering a dimensional blow and completely overturning the entire human visual perception.
The countdown to the new millennium officially began as all of Asia held their breath in suspense.