area51novel Chapter 1022 Fathers-in-law and Mothers-in-law
Chapter 1022 Fathers-in-law and Mothers-in-law
Chapter 1022 Fathers-in-law and Mothers-in-law
"The Guggenheim family? I have no connection with them."
After hanging up the phone, Mr. Spencer looked at his wife with a puzzled expression. She shrugged, indicating that she had no clue either.
"strangeness……"
He pulled out his phone and scrolled through his contact list. Mr. Spencer didn't even recognize a single person with the surname Guggenheim. As a diplomat, his memory was undoubtedly top-notch; he could assure himself that he had never had any dealings with this elite American family.
While pondering, he frowned and sat down on the sofa next to him, while Xiaobaihe poured a glass of coffee... an iced cola and brought it to her husband.
The elegant British man looked up and gave his wife a "sweet" smile, then started flipping through his contacts again.
"...Um, um, I'll handle it properly, there's no problem, no need... Let's leave it at that."
After making several phone calls and contacting his family in the area, Mr. Spencer still couldn't obtain any useful information. The only thing he knew was that the Guggenheim family wasn't an enemy.
The couple discussed it quietly, realizing that when dealing with someone of this stature, no amount of caution was too much.
It wasn't until 10 p.m., or 9 p.m. New York time, that Mr. Spencer finally managed to gather his thoughts and make the call.
"Good day, Mr. Guggenheim, I am..."
The two sides quickly began exchanging pleasantries. Hearing the harmonious conversation, Sawamura Sayuri breathed a sigh of relief; at least they weren't there to cause trouble. Until…
"my daughter?"
Mr. Spencer was taken aback. Lily's sketchbooks had been sold to America? But the next second he snapped out of it. No, no, her identity was strictly confidential.
(Wait a minute, do you really think it's something to be secretive for a diplomat like you to personally go to doujinshi conventions and sell your own books every day?!)
While his mind was still pondering why the other person had suddenly mentioned his daughter, Mr. Spencer's mouth had already started babbling on and on:
"Hahaha, she really is a lovely angel. Not only is she cute, but she's also very smart. By the way, how did you know that Lily won the Excellence Award at the Tokyo Youth Exhibition a year ago? Hahaha, yes, she also collaborated with the famous Kyosuke Hojo this year. She drew the illustration for the insert poster in the book 'The Dream and Death of Writer K,' which is very popular in the Great Ying Empire and America."
Haven't seen it? Then why are you calling?
Send me your address, and I'll buy two copies for you on Amazon and send them over..."
During the cordial and friendly conversation, Sayuri Sawamura shook her head and walked away.
She also took out her phone, checked the things she needed to do, and discovered that her daughter was taking an exam today.
Oh dear, how pitiful, tsk tsk tsk.
The mother shook her head, already able to imagine the pained expression on her daughter's face as she sat in the examination hall.
Honestly, how come she didn't inherit any of my or her father's intelligence?
It seems quite common for a family of smart people to have a fool among them.
Should I call Lily later to comfort her?
No, I'll call Kyosuke and tell him to spend more time with Lily these next few days.
Hmm, very good, efficient and easy~~
Mrs. Lily easily and happily put her daughter out of her mind.
Kids can be annoying if they're around all the time. They'll fight over the TV remote, force you to drink flat and not-cold cola, and complain when you occasionally cook for them out of kindness.
But if you're far away, hey, that's a completely different story!
When I miss her, I'll give her a call or drive straight to Ruyi Liao to give her a good rub on the head, and maybe bring her a few pretty clothes I bought while shopping. When I don't miss her, I'll just forget about her and pretend nothing happened.
Like with this exam, even if Lily comes afterward to hold us accountable and asks why we didn't go to cheer on the students and deliver the meal, we can just pin the blame on Kyosuke.
"Huh!? You dare to say that! You think I don't know you? You'd probably rather hear Hojo praising you than me cheering you on! I really made you an exam preparation bento, would you dare to eat it?!"
Yeah, that's roughly how it's handled.
Mrs. Sayuri happily closed her phone and started thinking about where to go in the afternoon. But after agonizing for a while, she finally decided to stay home and watch anime.
A otaku's life is so simple and unpretentious, with less internal strife and more wasting time.
Just then, she suddenly saw her husband waving at her.
The mother's expression changed, and she quickly went over.
Mr. Spencer had already held the phone a little further away from his ear, which allowed Mrs. Lily to lean in and listen together.
"...Haha, Mr. Robin knows that our Guggenheim family has always been passionate about the arts. Just as you said, Miss Eriri is an artistic genius who can be compared to Cézanne—a once-in-a-millennium talent..."
Hearing the cheerful voice on the phone, Mrs. Lily looked at her husband in surprise. To compare him to Cézanne? That's too much of an exaggeration.
Mr. Spencer, who was grinning foolishly, blushed at the stare and cursed inwardly, "Who said Cézanne? I was clearly talking about Leonardo da Vinci! Those Americans really can't hear properly."
"...That's why, adhering to the philosophy of supporting emerging artists, providing more opportunities for the possibilities of art, and ensuring the orderly inheritance of art, we would like to collaborate with Ms. Eriri. Of course, this requires your and your wife's consent first."
If the collaboration goes smoothly, we will support Ms. Eriri in participating in several of the world's top art competitions, and we can also hold a small private exhibition for Ms. Eriri at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York..."
The man on the phone spoke gently and slowly.
The Spencers, on the other end of the phone, exchanged bewildered glances, wondering if they had been scammed.
Japan's aging population and the generous pensions resulting from its lifetime employment system have made it a breeding ground for scams. Locals, outsiders, and scam groups from all over the world have set their sights on Japan.
Old age makes eyesight blurry, money makes you easy to fool, retirement is a great stage, if you have a dream, come and join us.
Anti-fraud leaflets were placed everywhere—in public places, banks, convenience stores, ward offices… but they were of little use.
Sure enough, scammers have become so brazen that they've even dared to scam diplomats.
The couple kept exchanging glances, silently complaining to each other in their hearts.
It's a joke, but it's impossible for him to be a fraud, because Mr. Spencer had already verified the authenticity of this contact through multiple channels.
He simply listened quietly to the bait thrown out by the Guggenheim across the way, constantly wondering what their intentions were.
What ulterior motive could he possibly have? Anyone with eyes can see that this guy who's been in Japan for years is a complete waste; no one could possibly be plotting against him.
Even if we take a step back and say that there's a real chance to sell out family interests to get some benefits for his precious daughter, he wouldn't mind at all.
【hey-hey】
The couple wasn't in a hurry. They both knew perfectly well that the truth would eventually come out, so they were just waiting for the other to reveal it.
"...Speaking of your daughter's angelic appearance, I am reminded of the young man you mentioned named Kyosuke Hojo."
Upon hearing this, Mrs. Sayuri thought, "They're here!"
If a conversation inexplicably introduces an individual with whom neither party has any common relationship, then that is definitely the key to the problem.
"Haha, yes, he's an outstanding young man, no less so than I was when I was young!"
Mr. Spencer said with a smile, after all, in his youth he was just a consumerist who emptied his wallet, while Kyosuke Hojo was a creator who started producing content early on. This was not just ordinary excellence, it was simply outstanding beyond belief.
The Guggenheim on the other end of the phone suddenly changed the subject:
"So Mr. Spencer and Mr. Hojo are also acquainted. That's good. You should also know that our family's Los Angeles Dodgers are pursuing him. We hope you can help mediate between them."
This will also help us achieve closer cooperation, and I believe this will allow the young people to achieve amazing results in America.
The voice on the other end of the phone gradually faded, and then they smoothly started chatting about other trivial matters. After another three to five minutes, they hung up the phone.
The Spencers, sitting on the sofa, lowered their heads slightly. After exchanging a glance, Mr. Spencer spoke first:
"A private art exhibition?"
Mrs. Little Lily started rambling on without even taking out her phone:
"The work submitted to the Tokyo Youth Exhibition is less than half completed. The book that was originally scheduled to be sold next month doesn't even have an outline yet. Who knows, I might have to draw another doujinshi of 'Love Metronome'. The month after next, I'll have to start preparing for the Summer CM work. Then there's the Kendo Tournament and Koshien. Lily definitely won't miss any of them."
Mr. Spencer then asked, "To win awards in international competitions?"
"If the competition organizers changed the venue to Tokyo, Kyosuke might be able to coax Lily to participate. After all, Lily would never refuse the chance to win an award with Kyosuke. But if they need to go to other places to promote the award, Lily would absolutely not go."
Besides, if Lily goes, no one is allowed to go with her? Are you going or am I? I'm absolutely not going!
Mrs. Sayuri spoke very quickly.
Mr. Spencer then asked, "To develop in America?"
Mrs. Sayuri rolled her eyes: "Why did you stay in Japan? Our daughter barely passed her English exams in middle school. Are you suggesting we hire a translator for her if she goes there? That would expose everything."
"Tsk..."
Mr. Spencer sighed. The Guggenheim family had set their sights on Kyosuke's daughter, but their intelligence gathering seemed incomplete.
(Am I really good at hiding it?)
If the condition were changed to fully supporting Lily in creating the animations she likes, or adapting all her doujinshi into animations, or... cough cough cough
In any case, either one is much more convincing than any private art exhibition.
But that's not how it works; the Guggenheim family's words carry a lot of weight.
This man, who introduced his daughter into the world of anime and manga before her worldview had even formed, and who made outrageous statements like "the law stipulates that minors cannot buy 18+ doujinshi, but it doesn't stipulate that they can't draw them," is a prime example of this.
Half of his brain is that of an otaku moe fan, and the other half is that of a shrewd diplomat.
"That being said, we can't not help. The Guggenheim family is very powerful. They were originally from the countryside and made their fortune in mining, but after they became rich, they started to vigorously develop the cultural industry, art, and sports market."
It is probably because they made their fortune in mining that they understand the limitations of this non-renewable resource, and therefore they place great importance on the fields of art and sports.
This phone call seemed like an attempt to curry favor with and control Hojo through us, but it wasn't just about flattery. It also implied leveraging the Spencer family's influence to develop the art industry—a multi-pronged approach.
Lily is incredibly talented, of noble birth, beautiful, and has a lovely voice... With the support of the Guggenheim family, such an angel could easily become a famous artist.
Not only do they profit from this, but Kyosuke and I also owe them favors… These Americans are truly obsessed with making money.”
Mr. Spencer muttered to himself as he pondered, while Mrs. Lily beside him quietly took out her phone to check information about the Guggenheim family.
Finally, the couple had another quiet conversation and decided to outwardly urge Kyosuke to join the Dodgers, while privately ignoring him.
Yes, without any communication, the Spencers and the Hojo made the exact same choice. Simply put, they took the benefits and ignored the important matters.
The couple were very efficient; they made the call during a break in Hojo Kyosuke's exam and had a very harmonious conversation.
Meanwhile, the Dodgers manager and others, who had been anxiously waiting at the hotel, received a call from Kyosuke Hojo at noon, and the two sides had a very pleasant conversation.
The Dodgers' actions couldn't be kept secret from others; the spies in the negotiation team reported their operation to the other teams almost without delay.
Spy sounds sophisticated, but coaches themselves might be spies or scouts. They might not work exclusively for one team, since one team might not be interested in a player, while another might be a darling of them.
The Yomiuri Giants' network of connections, headquartered in Tokyo, is no joke. After searching high and low, they finally managed to find the "Our Voice" agency.
But it's not surprising when you think about it. Yomiuri Group is a giant in the cultural industry, and talent agency would love to get associated with them.
Nishimiya Shoko received the call request when she went to the recording studio in the afternoon.
"I?"
Xiaojiang pointed at herself with her index finger, looking blank and bewildered.
"Is it the Yomiuri Giants?"
Saki Kihara walked over, peeked at the message from the agency, thought for a moment, and knew what it was about. She smiled and said:
"They probably want you to act as an intermediary and say nice things to help them sign Hojo."
"Oh, oh... I see."
Nitrogen Sauce suddenly realized, tilted her head, and thought for a moment.
Soon after, Yomiuri Giants received a rejection reply.
"What are you saying?! Are you sure you know what you're saying?! You don't want Kyosuke Hojo to join our team because you hate Gian, who bullies people in Doraemon?!"
The Yomiuri Giants' manager roared incredulously at the group's contact person.
What the hell is this? It's all Fujiko F. Fujio's fault!
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(End of this chapter)