novelhk Page 193
Page 193
Of course, Takahashi Ryoichi had already broken down after listening to Atsuko's email. His eyes were glazed over, and he was muttering something under his breath.
Despite the admiring gazes of the crowd, Chikako Ikeda maintained her composure and frowned slightly before saying:
"After all, 'Blue Country' is an adaptation of 'Sky-Colored Country.' Because of Atsuko's request, 'Blue Country' didn't even credit her, and it became my work entirely. Since Atsuko thinks that the 20 million yen should be returned to Ayako, then I should be the one to return it!"
"Chikako, you really are!"
Satoshi Ota couldn't help but give Chikako a thumbs up. Putting himself in her shoes, he realized that he probably wouldn't have done such a thing. This made Chikako's actions even more admirable!
"correct!"
Hiroki Kakutani suddenly remembered an important piece of information from Atsuko's email earlier, and he exclaimed in surprise:
"In Atsuko's last email, she wrote that Ayako and Yoshiko absolutely had to make 'Blue Country' a movie. In other words, Atsuko was always really involved in 'Blue Kingdom,' the adaptation of 'Sky Country.'"
"Is this weird?"
Ayako Suzuki finally smiled:
"When Chikako was revising 'The Country of Sky Colors,' Atsuko was even helping out by giving her suggestions!"
"After the revisions were completed, she still named the new script 'The Blue Kingdom.' She said that there is an old Chinese saying, 'Indigo blue comes from the indigo plant but is bluer than the plant itself.' The sky is blue, and 'The Blue Kingdom' is even more amazing than 'The Kingdom of the Sky'!"
Is there really another layer of meaning behind this?
Even Xia Ye, a native of China, hadn't expected that there was such a connection between the names of these two works. He hadn't even noticed this, which was a waste of the hundreds of ancient poems and dozens of classical Chinese texts he had memorized in his childhood!
Is there another way to explain it this way?
Hiroki Kakutani gaped. You literary girls really know how to have fun, even when it comes to naming things, you can come up with something amazing!
"Of course!"
Ayako Suzuki smiled slightly:
"Atsuko named 'Blue Kingdom,' was the original author, and also participated in the adaptation and revision. However, she firmly opposed having her name included in the credits, so neither the script nor the film adaptation of 'Blue Kingdom' bears Atsuko's name. But—"
"Just what?"
Satoshi Ota quickly pressed for more information.
"only--"
Ayako Suzuki had a hint of smugness in her eyes:
"Atsuko's last wish was for 'Blue Kingdom' to be released. Now that the movie has finally been released, how could Chikako and I forget Atsuko's name? Kakutani, Ota, do you remember the special thanks at the end of the movie?"
"Of course I remember!"
Hiroki Kakutani and Satoshi Ota exchanged a glance, somewhat speechless. "That special thanks section took up an entire screen, it was so prominent, and it was a completely unfamiliar name, how could we not remember it! But no matter how we asked you and Chikako, you wouldn't tell us, could it be—"
"That's right!"
Ayako Suzuki smiled and said:
"Take that name, turn it into katakana, and then flip it over and read it aloud."
"let me see!"
Following Ayako Suzuki's suggestion, Hiroki Kakutani rearranged the name, ultimately arriving at three characters:
To Atsuko! .
Chapter 178 The Things Chikako Almost Lost!
Ayako revealed the mystery behind the movie's Easter egg.
For a moment, everyone was in a daze.
As mentioned earlier, Atsuko never wanted to leave any trace of herself in "Blue Kingdom".
Now, Ayako and Chikako have included an Easter egg in the movie. Although they didn't directly mention Atsuko's name, they did allow Atsuko to appear in another way in the work she poured her heart and soul into.
Although this may seem to go against Atsuko's wishes, Atsuko shouldn't blame Ayako and Chikako for their heartwarming actions!
Hiroki Kakutani sighed:
"Ayako, Chikako, you two are so thoughtful! If Atsuko's spirit in heaven could know that you could appear in this way, she would surely be very pleased!"
Ayako Suzuki and Chikako Ikeda remained calm, for their spirits in heaven were merely offering themselves solace.
Dunzi is no longer here. All they did was to make up for this regret, and it's not something to be praised for.
Xia Ye sighed.
Although the plot has been completely different this time, he felt very satisfied, even though he lost the advantage of being a prophet who knew the plot well.
After all, following the plot in the same way is too boring. Events with endless twists and turns are much more interesting!
"Alright, I just took a look. The suspension bridge connecting the villa to the outside world has been destroyed, and the only telephone line has been cut. So now this villa is isolated from the world!"
Xia Ye smiled and said.
"what?"
Everyone exclaimed.
Then everyone looked at Ryoichi Takahashi.
"Did you do it?"
"Takahashi!"
"That's right——"
Ryoichi Takahashi was utterly despondent and now acted like a walking corpse, answering every question that came his way.
"Damn it, how are we going to get back?!"
Satoshi Ota, a grown man, looked panicked. Compared to the calm girls like Sonoko, Ayako, and Chikako, he was incredibly cowardly.
Even Hiroki Kakutani couldn't stand it anymore, slapping him on the back and saying speechlessly:
"What's the panic? Takahashi has already been captured. There's no danger inside the villa. Even if the way out and the phone line to contact the outside world are gone, there's plenty of food in the villa. They should be able to survive for a while. Once Ayako and Sonoko's families realize they can't contact them, they'll definitely send someone over to check!"
"Right!"
Satoshi Ota suddenly realized.
His expression calmed down.
"Actually, it doesn't have to be that complicated~"
Ayako Suzuki squinted and covered her mouth with a smile:
“When we came here, Xia Ye specially brought a satellite phone. He just notified my family that a helicopter will be here to pick us up in about an hour. Oh, and the Metropolitan Police Department personnel will be coming with them too.”
in fact.
According to the Suzuki family's traditional practices.
There was absolutely no need to call the police for what happened today.
Ryoichi Takahashi will definitely be encased in cement and sunk to the bottom of the sea somewhere in Dongdu Bay, and many years later he will be retrieved and still look lifelike.
but--
Because the head of the Suzuki family went out to have fun with his old friend whom he hadn't seen in a long time, the only person who could manage things at home was Ayako, who was gentle and kind and whose methods were slightly milder than her mother's. So, Takahashi Ryoichi managed to save his life this time.
certainly--
As punishment for attempting to harm the second young lady of the Suzuki family.
He will likely be charged with attempted murder and serve seven or eight years in prison.
This is Ayako's bottom line.
After all, she's not some brainless saint.
The idea of forgiving someone out of a moment of weakness would never happen to the former rightful heir of the Suzuki Group!
As for whether Ryoichi Takahashi can be convicted.
No one would doubt that.
After Ayako uttered the phrase "attempted murder," Ryoichi Takahashi could only be sentenced on that charge.
Even if Eri Kisaki personally defended him, the outcome would not change in the slightest. This is the power of the Suzuki Foundation in Japan!
"Great!"
Hiroki Kakutani looked at Natsume and couldn't help but admire her:
"Xia Ye is really prepared for a rainy day. You've thought of everything so thoroughly. You must be a survival expert who's very good at navigating the wilderness without cell phone signal, right?"
"No!"
Xia Ye smiled slightly and denied it:
"I'm not a survival expert, but in my experience, when a group of old classmates gather in a deserted villa and plan to spend the night, it's a classic 'locked room mystery' scenario. It's quite normal for a few people to die. And to create an environment completely isolated from the outside world, a telephone line is naturally the first thing to do, and bringing a satellite phone is just a precaution."
"Pfft——!"
The slightly somber atmosphere, influenced by Atsuko, was immediately broken by Natsume's words.
Sonoko giggled without any restraint, while Ayako and Chikako, who were more reserved, also showed faint smiles on their pretty faces, clearly thinking that Natsume was joking.
Even Sonoko and Ayako, who know that Natsume knows the plot, think this way: there's no way someone could die from a party in a remote villa overnight; Natsume must have made it up!
Xia Ye did not refute.
You know nothing about the world you live in. In this world, a villa + multiple people + nighttime is the formula for a murder. You'll understand once you experience more!
"Xia Ye, stop fooling around!"
Ayako Suzuki smiled gently and teased:
"You might as well say that as a Metropolitan Police Department officer, you had a premonition that a murder would occur at this gathering, which is why you prepared so thoroughly. That makes much more sense than what you just said."
"Ayako, you're right~"
Xia Ye smiled and agreed with Ayako's suggestion.
After all, he did know in advance that a murder would occur at this gathering, although it wasn't because of a police officer's sixth sense!
"Etc., etc!"
Hiroki Kakutani, who was standing to the side, stood up in shock. Satoshi Ota, who was next to him, also looked surprised. Ryoichi Takahashi, who was slumped over, looked up at Natsume and then lowered his head again. Only Chikako Ikeda looked blank, not knowing why Hiroki Kakutani was so excited.
Hiroki Kakutani ignored his companions' expressions and stared at Natsume's face, asking in confusion:
"Ayako, you said Natsume is a policeman from the Metropolitan Police Department. Could he be that Officer Akiyama Natsume who's been making headlines in the newspapers lately? No way, Officer Akiyama is way more handsome than Natsume. There's even a picture of him in the newspapers!"
"Yup!"
Satoshi Ota added:
"And Ayako, when you introduced Natsume, didn't you say he was a karate instructor?"
"This isn't my fault!"
Ayako Suzuki smiled faintly and directly shifted the blame:
"Hiding my identity was something Xia Ye told me to do. I didn't even tell Chikako. As for his face, of course it was disguised!"
"cut!"
"He's still so handsome even after disguising himself!"
Satoshi Ota touched his handsome face, feeling a pang of jealousy. He knew all too well how popular Officer Natsumi Akiyama was.
Online, some fans have already created several FansClubs for him.
To say that these people like Xia Ye because of his contributions to the security of Dongdu is absurd. It's because he is incredibly handsome that he has attracted a large group of young female fans, which has created such a huge buzz.
"What are you talking about?"
Chikako Ikeda still looked bewildered. Even if Natsume was a police officer, what was so surprising about that?
"Chika has been working on the script lately and hasn't had time to keep up with the news, so she doesn't know about Natsume's situation."
Ayako explained with a smile:
"Anyway, Chikako, you just need to know that Natsume is the hottest police officer in the Metropolitan Police Department right now. I'll tell you the rest later!"
"Good~"