booktalesy Chapter 332 A New Myth of the 21st Century, Akina's Surprise
Chapter 332 A New Myth of the 21st Century, Akina's Surprise
Chapter 332 A New Myth of the 21st Century, Akina's Surprise
Los Angeles, Hollywood Boulevard, Egyptian Theatre.
The air in the theater seemed to freeze. The huge IMAX screen was completely dark and silent, with only the white credits scrolling slowly against the black background.
Five full seconds. The huge screening room was so silent you could hear a pin drop.
That was the instinctive reaction of the human brain, briefly shutting down after receiving an excessive amount of visual shock, auditory bombardment, and overlapping logical impacts. Everyone was savoring the last second of the image: the metal top spinning rapidly on the table, seemingly wobbling slightly, before its image was abruptly cut off before it either collapsed completely or continued spinning.
"Fuck! Did it even collapse?!"
In the back row, a young independent film critic, known for his sharp tongue, finally couldn't bear the agonizing torment any longer. He gripped his hair tightly with both hands and let out a scream on the verge of collapse, disregarding his image.
That roar was like a signal flare thrown into a powder keg, instantly igniting the frenzied emotions throughout the screening room!
There was none of the usual politeness and restraint typical of premieres, nor any of the symbolic applause. Instead, there were screams that seemed to lift the roof off, deafening whistles, profanities in various languages, and then a standing ovation that lasted a full fifteen minutes without stopping!
The Warner Bros. and Paramount executives in the front row stood blushing, their ties already askew. They even forgot to exchange pleasantries with their colleagues, staring incredulously at the big screen. Hollywood's most seasoned film critics couldn't wait to leave the theater; they immediately pulled out their notebooks under the dim floor lights of the screening room and began frantically jotting down the bursts of inspiration that were swirling in their minds.
A few hours after the premiere, on the first morning of the new millennium.
Newspapers, television stations, and the newly emerging and rapidly spreading online film and television forums across the United States were completely swept up by a storm called "Inception".
The New York Times' entertainment section unusually dedicated an entire page to the headline, with the core lead consisting of a brief yet weighty comment: "On the last day of 20th-century cinema, we witnessed the birth of the ceiling for 21st-century science fiction films."
The Los Angeles Times, however, focused on Shin Kitahara's directing skills: "Shin Kitahara brought Freud's theory of the unconscious to life with the most hardcore architectural engineering and physical filming. He created a maze and then locked audiences all over the world inside it."
What truly propelled the film's popularity to snowball in the following weeks, even transforming it into a phenomenon discussed across society, was its open ending, which evoked both love and hate.
Viewers were not satisfied after watching it once. The huge amount of information, the time flow conversion of the three layers of dreams, and the dazzling physical inversions forced them to watch it two or three times. Some die-hard fans even bought tickets for a week and lived in the movie theater.
On internet forums, analytical posts about the film's ending sprang up like mushrooms after rain. Film bloggers and psychology columnists alike joined in, attempting to unravel the century-old mystery left behind by Kitahara Shin. The dial-up modems emitted harsh connection noises, linking the minds of movie fans worldwide.
"That was definitely a dream! Did none of you watch the movie with your eyes open? The two children Cobb saw at the end of the movie were wearing clothes that were exactly the same style and color as the clothes he remembered in the depths of his dream! Even their posture while playing on the grass and the angle of their turn were exactly the same! This shows that Cobb never returned to reality. Because of his guilt, he is forever lost on the edge of his subconscious!" A highly popular analysis post on the Yahoo Movies forum, which had tens of thousands of replies, asserted this, and the poster even provided a blurry screenshot of a pirated movie as "ironclad evidence".
However, this theory was quickly met with ruthless rebuttal and frantic ridicule from another group of "detail fanatics".
"Completely wrong! How could a master of practical effects like director Kitahara leave such an obvious loophole? I watched it four times in the theater, and I even checked the credits! In the end credits, there are two groups of actors playing Cobb's children! One group is three years old, and the other is five years old! The children who appear at the end have clearly grown taller; they're just wearing similar styles of clothing! This is a visual trap deliberately set by the director!"
As the discussion deepened, digging into everything from costumes and lighting to dialogue, a more subtle and chilling theory was unearthed by a self-proclaimed PhD in film studies and a seasoned film enthusiast. This theory, once released, instantly ignited the entire internet.
"You've all been fooled by the director! You were all staring intently at that spinning top, ignoring the most crucial detail: Cobb's left hand! Everyone, think back carefully. In all the scenes in the first half of the film that are explicitly stated to be reality," Leonardo's left ring finger is completely clean. But whenever he enters a dream—whether it's the first, second, or deeper layer of the dream—a platinum wedding ring appears on his left ring finger!"
"Because in reality, Mal is dead, and he can't let go, but he's taken off the ring; in the dream, Mal lives forever, so the ring is always there. The ring is Cobb's true totem! The spinning top is just Mal's totem! In the final scene of the film, when Cobb goes through customs, returns home, and picks up his child, his left hand is without the ring! So, the ending is absolutely realistic; he went home!"
When this post, dubbed the "wedding ring theory," was released, movie fans around the world were completely stunned.
This narrative trick, which buries the core clues deep within the details of the actors and props, requiring a magnifying glass to search frame by frame, instilled in everyone a chilling awe at Kitahara Shin's control.
During a break in a public event in Beverly Hills, an entertainment reporter risked breaking through security to hand a recording pen to Kitahara Shin and loudly inquire about the true meaning of the ending.
Kitahara Shin stopped in his tracks, facing countless blinding flashes of light, and gave an answer that made everyone even more mesmerized.
"Whether the top falls or not, whether the ring is there or not, it's all unimportant now." Kitahara Shin's gaze was profound, his tone calm, carrying a sense of relief born of experience. "The key point is that after Cobb spun the top, he didn't stay and stare intently at the outcome. He chose to turn around and walk directly towards his child. In that instant, whether in a dream or reality, he had achieved complete redemption. That was his truth."
This answer, brimming with philosophical reflection and humanistic concern, elevates the entire film's artistic conception, directly propelling *Inception* to a divine status. It completely sheds its guise as a mere popcorn sci-fi blockbuster, becoming a work of art worthy of repeated contemplation and exploration of the depths of the human psyche.
This caused a huge shock in the global film academic community.
From the University of Southern California's School of Cinematic Arts (USC) to New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, and then to major film schools across the ocean in Europe, Inception was quickly added to the required textbooks for directing, editing, and special effects departments at the world's top film schools within just a few months.
In an advanced editing class at USC, the white-haired professor used the three-line cross-cutting of the snow-capped mountain fortress, the hotel corridor, and the rainy night in Los Angeles in the third act of the film as key cases, playing them repeatedly on the large screen in the lecture hall.
"Look closely at how director Kitahara uses 'gravity' and 'musical beats' as editing anchors!" The old professor pounded on the blackboard, his hands trembling with excitement. "The weightlessness created by the van crashing in the rain on the first level perfectly triggers the zero-gravity fight in the hotel corridor on the second level. He abandoned the traditional commercial film technique of abusing montage to advance the plot, choosing instead to use rigorous physical logic to forcefully bind three spaces with different time flows together! This control over the rhythm of non-linear narrative is enough for you young people who only know how to use computer software templates to look up to and learn from for a lifetime!"
Beyond the editing, the 30-meter-long rotating corridor built at Burbank Studios at a cost of millions of dollars has become a classic textbook for film engineering analysis. Shinichi Kitahara's hardcore physical and mechanical set design delivered a resounding slap to the face of the emerging era that overly relied on CGI and green screen compositing, announcing to the world the unparalleled quality of practical effects.
In this global movement to create a god-like figure, Kitahara Shin's scheduling maneuvering also demonstrated his shrewdness and ruthlessness as a zaibatsu businessman.
The premiere of Inception was fixed at midnight on December 31, 1999.
This timing is crucial. According to the strict rules of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, a film is eligible to compete for the Academy Awards if it is screened in commercial theaters in Los Angeles County for seven consecutive days before midnight on December 31st of that year.
Kitahara Shin's last-minute, almost cheat-like maneuver, by holding preview screenings a few days in advance in a very limited number of designated theaters, allowed "Inception" to successfully secure its ticket to the 72nd Academy Awards (held in early 2000).
1999 was dubbed the "Twilight of the Gods" in film history. Films like *The Matrix*, *American Beauty*, *The Sixth Sense*, and *Fight Club* are all masterpieces that have left their mark on cinematic history and possess distinctive styles. Established film studios were already locked in a fierce battle for the Oscar.
With its visual spectacle that seemed to defy expectations and its phenomenal box office performance, *Inception* stormed into this battleground of titans like an untamed beast. With over two months to go before the Oscars in March, Hollywood's PR machine was already in a frenzy revolving around Kitahara Productions. Leonardo DiCaprio's Best Actor nomination was at its peak, even surpassing the buzz surrounding *Titanic*.
The new millennium arrived as scheduled.
The first rays of sunlight of 2000 shone on the earth. The "Y2K bug" crisis, which was rumored to paralyze the global computer network and even trigger accidental nuclear missile launches, did not bring about the end of the world. Instead, it vanished into nothingness amidst the New Year's Eve revelry around the world.
Humanity has smoothly and passionately entered the 21st century.
This is a remarkable turning point in the social atmosphere. Whether in Times Square in New York or on the streets of Shibuya in Tokyo, a vibrant energy, almost overflowing from the screen, is visibly surging through the air.
People are eager to leave behind the gloom and gloom brought about by the bursting of the economic bubble in the early 1990s.
A giant electronic screen continuously displays a grand vision for the "new century, new technology." Young people—
Wearing brightly colored clothes, they fiddled with increasingly smaller mobile phones with flip-top functionality and monochrome LCD screens.
The widespread adoption of the internet led to an information explosion, and internet cafes sprang up like mushrooms after rain. In this new era, whether white-collar workers in multinational corporations or apprentices in ramen shops, everyone's eyes shone with an almost fanatical optimism. They firmly believed that technology would change everything, that the 21st century was full of opportunities, and that tomorrow's life would definitely be better than today's.
However, amidst this global frenzy and the daily record highs of the Nasdaq index, Kitahara Shin displayed an unusual coldness and restraint.
In the president's office at the Los Angeles headquarters, Kitahara Shin opened the latest financial statements, the black coffee beside him steaming.
He knew perfectly well that the time for the Nasdaq crash and the bursting of the internet bubble in March 2000 was drawing ever closer. At the beginning of this new era when everyone was caught up in the hype, he had to be the most ruthless executioner.
A steady knock sounded, and Chief Financial Advisor Zosam walked in, carrying a top-secret data analysis model. This ruthless trader on Wall Street had an unusually cold look in his eyes, revealing a tense tension as if facing a formidable enemy.
"President, the Nasdaq's surge over the past few months has completely defied basic financial common sense. Many .com companies with only empty domain names have had their price-to-earnings ratios inflated to a dangerous level that could trigger a massive collapse at any moment." Sasaki handed the report to Kitahara Shin, offering his expert assessment: "The bubble has reached a critical point. I suggest immediately cutting off negotiations with those frenzied venture capital firms regarding further share issuance. Simultaneously, the finance department needs to immediately initiate a high-level cash-out plan, secretly and in batches selling off all of our Edge Internet shares."
Kitahara Shin looked at the report, which matched his prediction perfectly, and took a satisfied sip of his coffee. The person he kept by his side hadn't been blinded by fanaticism after all.
"Do as you say, Sasaki. Be quick and discreet. Repatriate all the withdrawn funds and transfer them into tangible assets." Kitahara Shin walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, overlooking this city where money never sleeps. "Inception"
The Resident Evil theme park project is progressing rapidly, with large-scale land acquisition underway. We aim to secure the world's strongest cash flow and the most prime real estate amidst the ruins of this bubble burst.
Beyond the grand and ruthless capital strategy, at the beginning of this vibrant and hopeful new century, Kitahara Shin's personal life also received a piece of great good news that was enough to change the trajectory of his life.
In mid-January, the air in Tokyo was still bitterly cold, but at Kitahara Manor in Chiyoda Ward, there was an unusual tension and anticipation.
Originally, to celebrate the resounding success of her Millennium Fashion Show, Akina Nakamori's schedule was already booked until the end of 2000. This included the second half of her international tour, cover shoots for three top fashion magazines, and invitations to be a regular on two hit variety shows. As a superstar who dominated an era, every second of hers was precisely calculated into astonishing commercial value.
But just three days ago, in the morning, Akina was washing up in the bathroom when she suddenly felt an unprecedented wave of intense dizziness and dry heaving.
The estate's personal family doctor was urgently summoned to conduct the most private and comprehensive examination within this heavily guarded mansion.
"President, Ms. Akina is pregnant, she's been pregnant for four weeks."
-
When the old doctor removed his stethoscope and announced the conclusion, the air in the master bedroom seemed to stop moving.
Kitahara Shin stood by the bed, looking at Akina, whose face was slightly pale but whose eyes were bright, and felt a sharp pang in his heart. He knew that the "bond of life" forged that night in Los Angeles had finally blossomed at the beginning of this new century. This child, carrying their bloodline, signified that the Kitahara Empire had welcomed its first true heir.
"Shin-kun—I might not be able to participate in next month's tour," Akina said softly, her hand instinctively protecting her still flat stomach.
"Not just the tour, Akina, from this moment on, all your work is canceled." Kitahara Shin walked to the bedside, sat down beside her, his tone calm and decisive. "Kitahara Productions will announce that you need to enter a long-term rest period due to health reasons." As for the breach of contract fees and sponsors, Sasaki will handle them cleanly and efficiently; no one dares to utter a word more.
Although Akina has always valued her acting career, all fame and fortune seem insignificant in the face of this long-awaited little life. She smiled and nodded, her eyes filled with a happy weariness.
However, in this era, if Akina, as a top public figure, does not handle the news of her premarital pregnancy properly, not only will her reputation be damaged, but she will also encounter many troubles in terms of law and household registration, and is very likely to attract criticism from the media.
Kitahara Shin was prepared for this. He did not choose to hold a lavish wedding that would drive the world's media crazy at this critical moment, as that would only disturb Akina's pregnancy and bring endless harassment.
On the afternoon of the day the news broke, Kitahara Group's top legal team moved into the manor with a thick stack of documents.
"President, the registration for our common-law marriage has been completed." The chief lawyer respectfully handed over the documents. "Legally, you and Ms. Akina have established an officially protected family relationship. Not only can it be clearly registered in the family register, but future children will also directly inherit the full rights of the Kitahara family as legitimate heirs, completely legal and compliant."
This "common-law marriage" arrangement not only avoided media scrutiny but also provided Akina with the most tangible guarantee of her legal status. Under the protection of the law, no one can question the legitimacy of this relationship.
Although the news was kept strictly confidential from the outside world, it was naturally impossible to keep it from the small circle of Beiyuan Manor.
A few days later, one afternoon, winter sunlight streamed through the glass dome of the greenhouse, bathing the warm interior in its glow. Several potted orchids were in full bloom, filling the air with a delicate fragrance. The estate welcomed a "joint visit" from three more of her female confidantes.
On the soft, large Italian-style sofa in the living room, Akina Nakamori, wearing a loose and comfortable cashmere loungewear, held a cup of warm milk in her hands, her cheeks glowing with the gentle radiance of a new mother.
"Akina-nee, how are you feeling now? Are you still feeling nauseous?" Rie Miyazawa took off her coat and quickly walked to the sofa. Her usual arrogance and aloofness were completely gone, replaced by concern in her eyes, which kept glancing at Akina's stomach.
"Don't be so delicate. The doctor said it's just a normal initial reaction and it will get better in a while." Akina chuckled as she looked at Rie's nervous expression and took her hand.
Nanako Matsushima, on the other hand, appeared much more composed. She walked over carrying two exquisitely crafted paper bags, placed them on the coffee table, and her eyes were so gentle they seemed to melt your heart.
"I asked someone to bring some all-natural essential oils and nutritional supplements specifically for pregnancy from Europe. Although the estate has everything we need, this is just a small token of our appreciation." Nanako sat down on the single sofa next to her, her eyes filled with undisguised envy, but also with deep blessings, as she looked at Akina.
Everyone here is a smart woman who has been in this industry for many years. As Kitahara Shin's longest-serving partner, everyone is convinced that Akina was the first to get pregnant.
In the seat next to her, Matsu Takako had deliberately dressed in an elegant and appropriate dress. Coming from a Kabuki family, she possessed an innate refinement and poise. She didn't make a fuss, but instead took a delicate red brocade pouch from her bag and handed it to Akina with both hands.
"Akina-nee, this is a safe delivery amulet that I specially obtained from Suitengu Shrine yesterday." Matsu Takako's tone was sincere and gentle.
Seeing the motherly glow on Akina's face as she accepted the amulet with both hands and thanked her, Matsu Takako felt a complex mix of emotions.
She felt no jealousy. In that instant, she truly understood the profound bond between Akina and Kitahara Shin, a bond that had spanned over a decade. Youth and beauty alone couldn't compare; the weight of time spent accompanying a man from humble beginnings to the pinnacle was far more significant. As the newcomer, Matsu Takako completely let go of those unrealistic comparisons, instead becoming even more determined to secure her place by this man's side and within this vast family. She would use her own methods to become an indispensable asset to the Kitahara Empire.
Just as they were having a warm and intimate conversation in the living room, a steady sound of footsteps came from the stairs.
Kitahara Shin, dressed in gray casual loungewear, came downstairs carrying a plate of freshly cut, perfectly chilled fruit.
Beside him stood the aloof and elegant Izumi Sakai. Izumi hadn't participated in the lively conversation today, but instead quietly stayed by Kitahara Shin's side, assisting him and taking care of Akina's daily needs. The way she looked at Akina held a tenderness akin to that of a close sister.
"What are you all talking about, it's so lively?" Kitahara Shin placed the fruit plate on the coffee table, sat down next to Akina quite naturally, and put his arm around her shoulder.
"We're talking about you, you busy man. You're about to become a father. Are you mentally prepared?" Rie winked and teased.
Kitahara Shin lowered his head, looking at Akina in his arms. At this moment, he abandoned the coldness he displayed on set and the ruthlessness he displayed in the business world; his eyes were filled with an unprecedented tenderness.
"I wouldn't say I'm prepared, but I'm really looking forward to it." Kitahara Shin held Akina's hand and gently stroked it. "The pace of all work will slow down this year. External matters will be handled by the staff. My most important task for the next few months is to be with you and help you give birth to this little one safely."
Hearing these words, Akina felt as if she were being bathed in warm water, completely at ease. She leaned obediently on Kitahara Shin's shoulder, her face beaming with the happiest smile in the world.
Nanako, Rie, and Matsu Takako watched this heartwarming scene and couldn't help but smile knowingly.
Outside the window, the first snow of the 21st century began to fall over Tokyo.