novelslam Chapter 260 Framework
Chapter 260 Framework
Chapter 260 Framework
With the continued popularity of "Ultraman Tiga" in the Kansai region, a wonderful chemical reaction is quietly taking place on this scarred land.
For the victims who had just experienced the Great Hanshin Earthquake, the miniature models of collapsing houses and fleeing crowds possessed an unparalleled sense of realism. They understood better than anyone the despair that followed. This is why, when the red and purple giant of light repeatedly rose from the ruins, using his broad chest to shield them from the monster's destruction...
Protecting the lights of countless homes behind them, this dual impact on both the eyes and the soul injects a powerful boost into countless families mired in darkness.
It's not just children; more and more adults are also starting to sit quietly in front of the television on weekend evenings, drawing courage to live from that pure act of protection.
In reality, reconstruction efforts in the Kansai disaster area are still progressing with great difficulty.
Dust filled the air at a large distribution point on the outskirts of Kobe.
Nanako Matsushima, wearing an old, poorly tailored coat and a full-face mask, was bending over as she carried heavy boxes of drinking water to the distribution table.
A few days ago, this kind of strenuous physical work would have left her so exhausted she couldn't straighten her back. But today, Nanako felt as if she had inexhaustible energy. Since her high fever subsided the day before yesterday, she found herself in an unbelievably good physical condition. Not only had the fatigue accumulated from filming two projects in a row been swept away, but even her breathing had become lighter and smoother than when she first debuted at the age of twenty.
She was unaware that it was Kitahara Shin's upgraded gold-quality [Ring of Life] that was providing absolute protection. She simply attributed it to the rebuilding of her immune system after her serious illness, coupled with the psychological comfort from doing good deeds, which made her feel rejuvenated.
Kitahara Shin was not far from her, also dressed in simple old clothes, skillfully helping several elderly people set up and reinforce the windproof tents for their temporary accommodations.
The two did not bring any assistants, nor did they notify even a single familiar media outlet, completely blending into the bustling atmosphere.
As noon approached, the distribution point welcomed a short shift change and break.
As soon as Nanako took off her gloves and wiped the fine sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand, several children wearing old clothes and with dust on their faces timidly came over.
The little girl leading the group had slightly messy pigtails. She carefully opened her muddy little hands. In her palms lay several small stars folded from colorful candy wrappers, and next to them were two slightly melted fruit candies.
"Big brother, big sister—thank you for giving us water and hot soup." The little girl's voice was as soft as a mosquito's buzz, but it was full of sincerity. "We folded these ourselves and gave them to you."
Nanako paused for a moment, her eyes instantly welling up with tears. She slowly knelt down, solemnly accepting the slightly rough origami stars and candies with both hands, her eyes curving into two gentle crescent moons: "Thank you, I will treasure them."
Kitahara Shinya stopped what he was doing, walked over and patted the children on the head. He then magically pulled out a few pieces of chocolate that the crew used to replenish their energy from his pocket and stuffed them into their hands, earning a few crisp and cheerful thanks in return.
Watching the children run off with their chocolates, Nanako carefully put the origami stars into her pocket, turned around, and smiled happily at Kitahara Shin.
"Nanako, stop what you're doing for a moment, let's talk alone for a bit." Kitahara Shin looked at her bright smile, which was covered in dust, and spoke gently.
Nanako blinked in confusion, but nodded obediently and followed Kitahara Shin to a relatively quiet corner behind the supply tent.
The two stood facing each other and began to talk in hushed tones.
Just a few dozen meters away from them, next to a loading truck, several production assistants and lighting assistants from the "Ultraman Tiga" crew were taking advantage of the crew's day off to volunteer.
One of the young stagehands was carrying boxes when he casually glanced at the corner behind the tent and suddenly stopped in his tracks.
He rubbed his eyes, nudged his teammate with his elbow, and exclaimed in a low voice, "Hey! Look at those two over there—their figures and profiles, aren't they Daigo and Rena?!"
His companion followed his gaze, examined them closely for a moment, and then his eyes widened in disbelief: "My God—it really is President Kitahara and Ms. Matsushima! What are they doing here? And dressed like that, without even a single follower!"
The crew members were utterly shocked. In this industry, celebrities doing charity work often have seven or eight cameras following them from all angles, releasing dozens of press releases to boast about their kindness. But these two top stars, currently the most popular in Japan, were wearing worn-out masks, mingling with dusty volunteers, carrying bricks and cooking soup, keeping it a complete secret from even the crew.
Just as several staff members were suppressing their excitement and hesitating whether to go over and say hello, a middle-aged general manager in charge of coordinating this resettlement site happened to pass by with a walkie-talkie.
Seeing several young men staring intently at the couple in the corner, the person in charge stopped and followed their gaze, a gentle smile full of respect appearing on his face.
"You're watching them too, huh?" The head of the department sighed deeply, his tone full of emotion. "Those two are truly kind-hearted people. Last week, our funding for purchasing winter supplies and medicines ran out, and the funds allocated from above were stuck in the process. I was so anxious that I couldn't sleep for nights on end. But just two days later, these two contacted me privately and, without saying a word, directly used their own money to fill that huge funding gap."
Upon hearing this, several crew members gasped, exchanged glances, and their shock turned into deep admiration.
They silently suppressed the urge to greet them. Since the president and Ms. Matsushima had chosen to conceal their identities and give back to this land in the purest way, they, as subordinates, absolutely could not do anything superfluous and disrupt this rare tranquility.
In the corner, Kitahara Shin and Nanako's conversation was also coming to an end.
Although it was impossible to hear exactly what they said, judging from Nanako's slightly widened eyes and subsequent heavy nodding, the two had clearly reached a very important consensus.
Looking at the man before her, whose radiance was profound and whose vision far surpassed that of ordinary people, Nanako felt an overwhelming surge of emotion welling up inside her.
Without any hesitation, she took a step forward, opened her arms, and hugged Kitahara Shin tightly.
Kitahara Shin smiled, letting her hug his waist tightly. He gently stroked her long, coiled hair with his large hands, his actions revealing endless indulgence and reassurance.
The scene shifts to the Kansai Disaster Reconstruction Coordination Committee office in downtown Osaka.
The air was thick with the smell of tobacco and the bitter, burnt aroma of cheap coffee.
Sato, the head of the coordination department, slammed a thick financial deficit report onto his desk in frustration. His eyes were bloodshot, and his hair was greasy and messy from not having been groomed for a long time. He hadn't had a good night's sleep for four days in a row.
Reconstruction after a major disaster is a terrifying behemoth that devours money and resources.
Here, the flaws of the social mechanisms are magnified to an extreme. No matter how loudly the slogans for protecting rights are shouted in normal times, when it comes to matters requiring real money and swift, decisive action, progress in all aspects becomes exceptionally slow. Government approval processes are cumbersome, and small donations from the public are merely a drop in the ocean. The construction of resettlement housing, the repair of damaged commercial streets, and the long-term employment resettlement of disaster victims—each requires massive financial support.
Sato was scratching his head, wondering which conglomerate's door he should shamelessly beg for alms at tomorrow, when the landline on his desk suddenly rang sharply.
He took a deep breath, suppressing his frustration, and grabbed the microphone: "This is the Kansai Reconstruction Coordination Department. This is Sato."
""
"Hello, Mr. Sato, this is Aida, the secretary of the president's office at the Kitahara office in Tokyo." A capable and clear female voice came from the other end of the phone.
Sato paused, stunned. Kitahara Office? That giant corporation that wields immense power in the entertainment industry? What are they doing at the Reconstruction Coordination Department?
Before he could even ask a question, Secretary Aida had already presented a groundbreaking proposal that was enough to cause an earthquake.
This was the final plan that Kitahara Shin and Nanako reached behind the tent, and it was also the optimal solution that Kitahara Shin quickly deduced using the [Enterprise-level Sand Table].
"Our president has decided that Kitahara Office will take the lead in establishing a special reconstruction fund. We will contribute personnel and resources..."
We will provide funding to fully assist your department in completing all post-disaster infrastructure reconstruction work. Furthermore, we plan to purchase several severely damaged plots of land on the border of Kobe and Osaka for future commercial district planning. We will be responsible for securing the necessary construction teams and material supply chains during the construction period.
As he listened to the terms and conditions on the other end of the phone, Sato's hand holding the receiver began to tremble uncontrollably.
Having spent most of his life navigating the system, he knew all too well the weight behind this plan. Buying land and building a commercial street on that wasteland where no economic vitality was foreseeable in the short term—the so-called "investment" was actually a disguised form of…
Purely selfless financial support! This huge sum of money invested may not be recouped in ten or even twenty years.
This is a complete safety net charity!
"Secretary Aida—I—on behalf of all the disaster victims in Kansai, extend my highest respect to President Kitahara!" Sato stood up abruptly, bowing deeply even through the phone, his voice trembling with emotion. "When would be a convenient time to hold a formal negotiation meeting? We are available at any time to accommodate your schedule!"
After the initial excitement, a thought quickly flashed through Sato's mind. Kitahara Shin was currently filming "Ultraman Tiga" in Kansai, and as the head of the coordination department, he felt obligated to be "sensible" in this matter.
"Furthermore, regarding President Kitahara's substantial donation, our coordination department will definitely collaborate with all mainstream media outlets in Kansai to provide the highest level of publicity and reporting for President Kitahara, ensuring that this act of kindness is never overlooked!"
Sato had expected his suggestion to be appreciated, but to his surprise, Secretary Aida chuckled softly on the other end of the phone and interrupted him.
"Minister Sato, you've misunderstood." Secretary Aida's voice remained professionally calm. "Our president specifically instructed that there's no need for any deliberate media publicity targeting him personally or Ms. Matsushima. We're simply fulfilling a company's social responsibility, a routine matter. You only need to add our Kitahara office's official logo to the funded reconstruction projects and fencing. No other personal interviews or award ceremonies are necessary."
Upon hearing these words, Sato froze on the spot.
After hanging up the phone, he slumped into his office chair, watching the sky outside the window gradually darken, his heart churning with an overwhelming sense of shock.
In today's materialistic society, everyone donates money to some extent, but most people do it simply to gain a good reputation, donating a small amount and calling it a day. Take Kitahara Shin, a native Tokyoist, for example. He poured enormous sums of money into the ruins of Kansai, refusing even a word of praise or a headline.
This extraordinary spirit and vision made Sato feel ashamed of himself.
He silently picked up the remote, turned on the television in the corner of the office that he never had time to watch, and tuned it to a channel replaying "Long Vacation." He felt he had to watch it closely to see what kind of moving work a man with such a broad mind could produce.
However, in this era of highly developed information technology, the flow of such a large sum of money and the scheduling of such projects could not be kept secret in the end.
Kitahara's official logo began to appear frequently on the hoardings of various reconstruction sites. Astute financial reporters and entertainment paparazzi followed the trail and quickly uncovered the vast charitable network behind it.
Immediately afterwards, photos taken by passersby at the resettlement site were quietly submitted to the newspaper. In the photos, the tall man wearing an old mask and covered in dust carrying bottled water, and the woman smiling broadly as she served soup at the stove, their identities could no longer be hidden.
On the day the truth came to light, the entire Japanese press displayed an unprecedented level of tacit understanding.
No media outlet used sensationalist gossip headlines. All newspaper headlines and television news reports adopted a unified tone, using the most solemn and respectful language to publicize Kitahara Shin and Matsushima Nanako's actions in the ruins of Kansai.
This media storm, fueled by its authenticity, directly benefited the two actors' careers.
The viewership ratings for "Long Vacation" surged once again, on top of their already absurdly high levels. Middle-aged and elderly viewers who weren't usually interested in romance dramas, as well as the people of Kansai who had benefited from their efforts, all spontaneously tuned in to express their gratitude and support in the simplest way possible: by contributing to the ratings.
At this moment, Kitahara Shin, sitting in his top-floor office in Tokyo, has experienced a qualitative leap in his status.
He is no longer just a genius actor who can carry billions of box office revenue, nor is he merely a ruthless tycoon with capital in his hands.
In mid-1990s Japan, he transformed into an icon of an era, transcending the realm of the entertainment industry, through his healing classic works and his unwavering generosity amidst the ruins.
Whenever the Heisei era is mentioned, the name Kitahara Shin becomes an towering monument that can only be looked up to and cannot be surpassed.