Chapter 566. Internet Society
「 No, but, if Kyouko-san becomes an unpopular comedian in Nagoya, even if Rei-chan fights seriously that would just be… 」
Won’t that just look like a farce for the ordinary people?
Minaho-neesan answers my doubt.
「 It’s okay to let the public recognize it as such 」
She said smiling.
「 Kouzuki security service is different from ordinary companies after all 」
Indeed, Kouzuki security service is a company specialized in protecting distinguished families.
「 But, won’t other people see them as fooling around and not take them seriously? 」
What effect does it have on a security company?
「 That’s okay 」
Katsuko-nee laughs.
「 Kouzuki security service is a company unknown to the ordinary people, right? That’s why this kind of promotion would make them widely known 」
Minaho-neesan said.
「 Either way, the ordinary people only accept average enterprise. Apart from that, Rei-chan’s great efforts will be useful as the ordinary people see it as charming 」
「 Why? 」
「 When an ordinary person notices her guarding someone from a distinguished family, they’d say “Oh, that’s Rei-chan’s company” and easily recognize her, making it easier for her to do her duties 」
「 Instead of the stubborn looking black-clothed bodyguards, Kouzuki security service’s uniform guards will have a soft image 」
Katsuko-nee said. Nagisa continues.
「 But, won’t the ordinary people make fun of them? 」
「 Oh, isn’t that why they’re doing these promotional activities? Recently, there’s an Olympic medalist doing commercials on a security company to show familiarity but have you heard someone say “They’re making such joke commercials so I can’t trust that security company”? 」
Indeed, Katsuko-nee’s right, but.
「 It’s okay even if the ordinary people make fun of them. It’s troublesome to have the ordinary people know and be afraid of the real power of Kouzuki security service 」
What do you mean, Minaho-neesan?
「 If their real power is known to the world, then they would be regulated, don’t you think? The ordinary people will have the politicians do it 」
「 Therefore, it’s better if Kouzuki security service is perceived as a comical, a company you can laugh at 」
Margo-san said.
「 It’s enough to have only the country’s police and the distinguished families to know the real power of Kouzuki security service 」
The ordinary people won’t even request for a job from Kouzuki security service in the first place.
Kouzuki security service isn’t a security firm but a bodyguard company.
「 Those from our world understands the meaning of the fight from earlier. It’s showing that Kyouko Messer is making fun of the Japanese government 」
Making fun?
「 It means that she’s not being serious. If she was serious, then she won’t be having it broadcasted live. Approach without being noticed and take the opponent down for sure, that’s the common sense in our world 」
Margo-san laughs.
「 Kyouko-san’s actions were all a promotion. “We can do this” is what she says Today, she was able to respond to the desires of the people who ask for Compal Arts to be bankrupt, and furthermore, their connections with the gangster organizations are liquidated, and they can start a new entertainment office 」
Those who were trying to make money out of Compal Arts will be told: “Kyouko Messer has set up bomb attacks, so we have no choice” and declare closure of the business.
Also, they’ll use the reason of “connections with gangster organizations” so they’ll reorganize and slim down the new company so they can break their relationship with the gangsters.
However, for the ordinary people, they’ll only think of Kyouko-san’s remarks as a comedy act so they won’t notice anything behind the scenes.
In the first place, on the internet, the rumors of “Compal Arts are going to declare a cessation of business?” before Kyouko-san’s order.
Kyouko-san’s TV broadcast will just be a link to the story.
「 As said earlier, people are blind to what they have examined themselves 」
Minaho-neesan said.
「 TV and newspapers have their information distorted. A lot of people are convinced that the truth is on the internet but, it’s easy to change the reality on the internet as well. 」
Yeah.
「 This was a case last year, there was an incident that happened on the rural area of Japan. Furthermore, the internet is angry at the movement of the authority towards it saying “This is strange,” “Do your work properly,” “The correspondence between the police and administration is wrong” There’s no problem to that extent, but 」
Minaho-neesan’s expression turns cloudy.
「 Odd information on the internet is uploaded one by one. Saying “Actually, the assailant had a city councilor as relative so they were trying to hush up the incident,” or “This is the homepage of that city councilor,” and “The parents of the perpetrator seems to be a doctor at a public hospital” and more 」
Oh, people who are good at examining things like that exist.
「 Then, that information had become the truth before anyone noticed 」
Even though it’s not true?
「 The internet tries to put images saying “This is the source of the evidence” but, that evidence can be forged by anyone in the first place. It’s easy. In the end, they even uploaded a portrait photo and said: “this is the perpetrator” 」
That too?
「 Of course, the person in the photo has nothing to do with the incident. Bu, the “Image of the perpetrator,” was scattered around. The other lies were spread at that time, and it has become a big deal, even to the city councilor and the hospital doctors who had nothing to do with it. And yet, the municipal’s blog is flamed, the hospital was flooded with protest calls that they can’t do any business 」
Oh god.
「 And in the end, they were exhausted. They no longer know what’s real or what’s fake. Well, the noisy people got tired of it and became uninterested with the incident, so it went okay 」
Minaho-neesan looks at me.
「 But, there was one lie written that’s still left in there. Even now some people are convinced that the hospital doctors were family of the perpetrator, they’re not deleting the image they spread out either 」
「 There were other cases too, false information about talent being a criminal for a famous incident, and those who believed it harassed the talent for years 」
Nei said.
「 No matter how much you deny it won’t disappear, the people who believe of it as truth will continue to spread it, those who noticed that it was fake will erase won’t erase all that they said one by one. 」
Yeah
「 Therefore, Kyouko-san will become an unpopular performer in Nagoya. The source will be the homepage of Nagoya entertainment office. Those who know about this information will spread it like they captured the head of a demon 」
「 While at it, the broadcast for today will also become a farce. It’s involvement in closing down of Compal Arts too 」
Margo-san said.
If it’s the truth they find out on their own on the internet, they’d believe it.
「 Nobody in Japan knows that Kyouko Messer is an international wanted criminal 」
「 Even if there was a person who knows about Kyouko Messer from foreign information, the entertainer from Nagoya also has a foreign name 」
「 Ben Casey, it seems like a performer on a medical story! 」
Nei’s example is the only one I didn’t understand.
「 And then, Rei-chan will be the only one accepted by the public 」
Nei laughs.
「 The girls in the other room said “Rei-chan’s so cool!” didn’t they? 」
Mao-chan, Agnes, and Mana did say it.
「 The cameras were positioned to make sure that Reika looks cool 」
Minaho-neesan.
「 In the end, her honest and hardworking attitude made a good impression 」
「 Therefore, Rei-chan doesn’t need to know anything behind the scenes and devote herself o becoming a hero! 」
Nei.
「 If she discovers that it’s just a face then the honest Rei-chan can no longer act seriously 」
Margo-san said.
「 But if that happens, it would be obvious. Rei-chan is terrible at acting. Therefore, Kyouko-san gave instructions for her to fight seriously! To become a real hero! 」
And Chief Yazawa and Shou-neechan didn’t say anything unnecessary in the operation room.
The actual broadcast was just mushy and hard to understand, but Rei-chan’s the only one who’s seriously trying to become a hero.
「 She was dead serious until she took down the bomb found in the studio with her stick. Rei-chan thought of it as real 」
HUh?
I thought of it as real too.
Oh, right. That’s because Kyouko-san said that the bomb was real in the operation room.
Yazawa-san and Shou-neechan didn’t deny it either.
「 It’s the same as the others set up outside, it’s the latest type of the real thing on the exterior. However, there were no blasting powder included 」
Margo-san smiles.
「 Anyway, even if you look at the internet’s impression, Rei-chan’s the only one getting a good reputation! 」
Nei says while looking at the screen.
「 She’s beautiful, gallant, and her profile looks perfect too! 」
Profile?
「 Didn’t I tell you earlier? Her achievements from her school and kendo days are on the internet. Back then, she was from an all girl’s school, but she also had a lot of fans. Then, it doesn’t look strange for her to work at Kouzuki security service, they’re all thinking that she’s sent to TV under the business command of the company 」
An honest woman working hard is becoming a hero.
She’s becoming one, so Rei-chan has no sin.
Instead, to see such a beauty who’s as dignified as a flower, her popularity naturally rises up.
「 Well, it went as planned for the ordinary people 」
Margo-san says while looking at her laptop.
「 As for the business world, Rei-chan’s strength is real. She was able to show her power from that. Above all, having Kouzuki security service do a co-op work with Kyouko-san is the best promotion 」
Oh, if they look at that fight.
The professionals can tell that Kouzuki security service and Kyouko Messer are on good terms.
「 In short, if they want to use Kyouko-san’s power, they have to talk to Kouzuki security service. On the other hand, if they don’t want Kyouko-san to get in their way, they have to go through Kouzuki security service and be moral 」
「 The police are offended though 」
Minaho-neesan laughs.
「 But, they’re they. they can’t accept Kyouko-san invading here and placing bombs here and there 」
Margo-san said.
「 They should’ve marked Kyouko-san’s movements, and yet she got them 」
「 Furthermore, because of Kyouko-san’s job, there was no evidence that Kyouko-san and the others getting bombs! 」
「 The explosive material was pulled out of the bombs too 」
「 It’ll be passed off as a malicious prank? 」
「 No, someone’s lost article. A bomb with no blasting powder is just a device 」
Nei and Margo-san laugh.
「 Then, that means, Kyouko-san’s offense will be? 」
I ask, Margo-san.
「 Shooting anti-tank missiles and machine gun at first are already an out. In the first place, since it’s a filming studio, nobody would care as long as the police don’t announce that those were real 」
「 The police won’t announce it 」
Minaho-neesan said.
「 If they admit that those were real, it would become a big fuss 」
I guess.
It was a missile after all.
「 Blowing up the castle on Green Mountain Studio will have some protests from the neighboring residents 」
Katsuko-nee says while looking at her laptop.
「 In the first place, there was a notice that the castle would be demolished soon, so no protests were showing up other than for noise and vibrations 」
「 They were uploading images here, the photo of “Scheduled Construction” Therefore, the bombing tonight is directed to the TV stations! 」
It was planned to be demolished from the start.
So the explosion was just a play.
Then.
「 How does it feel like now? 」
Suddenly, the door opens, and Kyouko-san and Miss Cordelia wearing their Kouzuki security service uniform appear.
◇ ◇ ◇
「 Kyouko-san, how was your meeting with Kouzuki-sama? 」
Minaho-neesan asks. Kyouko-san:
「 I gave the report, no problems. The reward for this time was from the officials of Compal Arts and old man Kouzuki 」
She smiles.
「 The TV stations and agencies only want to crush down the burden on Compal Arts, but they didn’t imagine that Kouzuki group will buy up the main body of their company through that opportunity 」
It was all planned by Kyouko-san.
「 Nei, do you have logs of their impression on the internet? 」
「 I do! Kyouko-san! 」
Nei hands over the laptop to Kyouko-san.
「 Let’s see 」
Kyouko-san reads the log at a breakneck pace.
「 Hmm, interesting. 80% of the people who watched the broadcast are writing critically 」
Kyouko-san laughs.
「 Especially, they’re saying that my talk with the comedian was the worst 」
Oh, Snatch-san.
「 Well, 80% of the criticisms are about opinions of “She’s just an unpopular comedian and yet she’s making a fool out of the regulars in Tokyo, who does she think she is?” 」
Kyouko-san said.
「 Why do they speak for the interpersonal relationship within the comedy industry? Is it wrong to for someone unpopular to criticize the popular? 」
「 It seems that they want you to complain after you get popular 」
Katsuko-nee replied.
「 Then, you can only hear the opinions of the famous, right? Is that okay? 」
「 Do you mean that unpopular people have no right to speak? 」
「 Hmm, then, what about the people writing here? 」
「 Well, they’re not comedians from the industry, they’re just onlookers, so they feel like they’re qualified to say anything 」
「 So the unpopular entertainer can’t complain, but those watching from outside can say anything they want? 」
「 I don’t get it either, but I guess that’s how it is 」
Katsuko-nee says looking troubled.
「 Oh, this opinion is exciting, “This woman’s criticizing just big corporations, could she be an agent of ******?” Why do they think like that? 」
「 I mean, Kyouko-san, weren’t you criticizing the big companies? 」
「 I didn’t. I was only talking about the relationship of the TV stations, advertising agencies, and entertainment productions 」
Kyouko-san laughs.
「Some people perceive everything they see as a political issue. Oh, this one’s funny. “This woman must hate comedians and TV,” and “Her thoughts are from the 60s,” that’s how they see it 」
「 Young people have a lot of criticisms 」
「 Katsuko, what do you think that means? 」
「 I don’t know much, I don’t really watch TV that much 」
Then.
「 I can tell 」
Kyouko-san said.
「 The television in Japan has been sluggish for the last 15 years. They’re keeping it low, or rather, they’re slowly sinking down.
「 Is that so? 」
「 If it were ten years ago, a drama or a live baseball broadcast would still have viewer ratings. It’s definitely worse now. About ten years ago, the drama was only a topic that has a score that does not exceed 10%. Now, it’s normal 」
I see.
I’m just about to become an elementary school student at that time, so I don’t know.
「 Twenty years ago, I only watched TV that continues to sink down, I think the thoughts on my age towards the TV and media are different 」
Kyouko-san said.
「 I’m not saying that it was better before. It’s just the difference in generation The number of media is small, and the top ten of the TV’s’ weekly viewer rating is no more meaningful than the time when the program was exceeding 20% in all 」
「 Then, what does Kyouko-san want to know? 」
Nei asks.
「 I’m interested in which direction does the current thought process of the Japanese faces 」
Kyouko-san replied.
「 If you think about the business in this country then you’ll need to understand that 」
Nei smiles.
「 People decide their actions based on the information they hear and see. They must make a decision no matter how little information they have. For example, if a stranger talks to you, you can instantly judge if they’re trustworthy or not, right? You use the information such as the person’s appearance, clothes, properties, and an expression on that spot 」
Yeah.
「 It seems that the grown-ups have the judgment because they gained various experiences which means that they have more materials to make their judgment. Those who knew the different social situations of different times have the advantage of analyzing the situation 」
Kyouko-san said.
「 You see, if you ask me about the current TV compared to the earlier days, the contemporary TV world is the most vibrant I have the comparable information and experience. But, for someone who’s only watching TV for the last ten to twenty years, my opinion is uncomfortable for them. For them, the TV world hasn’t changed that much 」
I see.
「 Furthermore, I’m only saying my own opinion. It’s not like they have to agree or understand it. There are various mindsets in this world that whoever says whatever, I’ll only think of “I see, so that’s what you think” 」
Kyouko-san looks at the screen with a serious face.
「 Therefore, the opinions on the internet saying “She’s definitely an agent of ****,” or “I’m sure that she’s *****” makes me feel discomfort. They’re label pasting, and it’s meaningless. Nei, are these people increasing? 」
Nei:
「 I don’t think they’re increasing. People with loud voices, those that stand out, or who are caught in the feeling writes multiple times by themselves 」
「 Oh, I see 」
「 I don’t know why either but people can’t feel at ease unless they make it clear if one is an ally or an enemy 」
「 I mean, these people have no interaction with me, right? They were just watching the TV, listening to my opinion, right? 」
「 But, when they don’t agree with Kyouko-san’s opinion, they judge you as an enemy 」
「 Oh, I get now why they write such extreme logic 」
Kyouko-san’s convinced.
「 If you’re an ally then you will do anything as they want, if you’re an enemy, then they will do everything to crush you down. Those people are here and there, so they happen to stand out 」
Nei said.
「 An average person might not have a matching opinion with Kyouko-san, but they won’t write their objections on the internet. They don’t care about those 」
「 Well, I guess. It’s a hassle to write all your complains after all 」
「 Therefore, there’s no need to mind them too much 」
「 Hmmm 」
Kyouko-san folds her arms.
「 No, but, I can still feel the disconnection in generations. If my method does not go through the youth of Japan, then I have to think of another way 」
「 Kyouko’s really earnest to the root 」
Miss Cordelia laughs.
「 If we’re only doing our work, we could target just the young people 」
Kyouko-san:
「 No, that would be tampered off later. Either way, I think it’s better to make them aware that I’m older 」
She said as she looks at the laptop.
「 By the way, Kyouko-san 」
I ask.
「 Compal Arts will have a conference about their closing down but, the broadcast for today becomes incomprehensible in the end, right? 」
Who and on what purpose was that broadcast made?
The ordinary people didn’t know what happened.
「 Are you not going to say something like “It’s this kind of show?” Lying on the internet or something? 」
Kyouko-san looks at my face with her eyes open wide.
「 Look at this, this is how the young people in Japan think 」
Huh?
「 You think that everything needs an answer where everything is explained, right? Thinking that accountabilities should be fulfilled 」
「 Err, that way, they’d calm down or something 」
Kyouko-san:
「 I won’t explain. That broadcast will stay incomprehensible that nobody can tell what the real intent is. Everyone will feel uncomfortable 」
Why?
「 The world needs those 」
Huh?
「 That’s not it. Actually, most of the things happening in this world can’t be explained that easily. Japan media is trying to make it easy for the viewers, but in fact, more things aren’t explained 」
Yeah.
「 But, if you explain it half-assed, the ordinary people will feel at ease. They’ll be convinced 」
Kyouko-san stares at me.
「 I don’t tell lies. If they look properly, then they’ll see what’s going on, that’s how I show it. People should make their own judgment after that 」
Then, she smiled.
「 There’s no right answer, you can think of anything you want. That’s why it’s better to let it stay like that 」