I'm Not A Master, I'm A Director (Creating Fate Movie In Nasuverse)

A black sedan cruised through the bustling nighttime streets of Tokyo.

"Oh, it's such a pity that Kiritsugu and Mrs. Irisviel went back to their family in Germany," Shinji remarked, grinning as he lounged in the backseat with his legs crossed.

"I would've loved to see Kiritsugu's face when he saw those magi getting their butts kicked by the Servants."

Sitting beside him, Shirou frowned. "If Dad had stayed, he'd probably get involved himself, wouldn't he?"

Shinji raised an eyebrow. "Wouldn't that be even better?"

This friend of his never missed a chance to revel in chaos. 

Shirou massaged his temples, exasperation evident on his face. 

If Kiritsugu had stayed in Fuyuki City, it wouldn't be the Servants fighting—it'd be Kiritsugu himself. 

Of course, considering they still needed to live in the Emiya house afterward, it was unlikely Kiritsugu would use explosives. 

He'd probably stick to handguns, submachine guns, or sniper rifles.

"If that happened, wouldn't Grandpa Raiga (Taiga's grandfather) go ballistic? I mean, handling all those bodies…"

"Who knows~" Shinji snorted, his face full of mockery. 

But soon, his expression turned respectful as he addressed the third passenger in the car. "Grandpa Kurosawa, I'm counting on you for tonight."

Hearing this, the elderly man's wrinkled face broke into a smile. "Haha, compared to the help you've given me, this is nothing. Since you asked, I'm happy to oblige."

This old man was Kurosawa Hisao, the eldest son of Japan's legendary filmmaker Akira Kurosawa. 

The reason Shinji had invited him to tonight's banquet was to have him lend some weight to the occasion.

The banquet tonight was officially a celebration for the success of UBW's ratings, hosted by TBS Television. 

However, for Shinji, it wasn't just a celebration—it was also his first negotiation with Johnny & Associates.

Yes, after a long wait, Shinji was finally using TBS's platform to approach Johnny & Associates.

In reality, this shouldn't have been so complicated. 

Johnny's had been expecting Shinji to come to them, so they waited for him to make the first move. 

Shinji, on the other hand, found dealing with Johnny as a pain in the ass and planned to leave Nagano Hiroshi's negotiation last. 

As a result, Johnny's waited and waited, growing increasingly impatient when Shinji never came.

The Kitagawa siblings expressed more than once that they found Shinji Matou overly arrogant. 

When Shinji heard about this, he was even less inclined to negotiate with Johnny's. 

He figured that going now would only result in being heavily extorted, so he decided to play the waiting game.

This stalemate left both sides waiting for the other to blink first, until TBS Television heard about it and took the initiative to invite both parties to the UBW celebration banquet. 

TBS was stuck in the middle and found the situation difficult, as Shinji Matou had helped create a ratings miracle for them, while Johnny's idols were the backbone of many TBS dramas' ratings.

Both Shinji and Johnny's understood that continuing to be stubborn would result in a lose-lose situation, so they accepted TBS's olive branch. 

However, there was one very awkward aspect of the banquet for Shinji—he was a junior, and not just by one generation.

Among the younger generation, Shinji wasn't considered low-ranking. 

He was on par with Tsuburaya Nobuo, and many older individuals weren't necessarily higher in rank. 

But the problem was the Kitagawa siblings—Johnny Kitagawa and Mary Kitagawa—were in their seventies and eighties, akin to his grandfather Zouken Matou's generation. 

Shinji would have no choice but to play the junior.

This was a joke, of course. 

By Japanese societal standards, Shinji could shamelessly refuse to show proper etiquette. 

Japanese society valued social relationships over blood relations, and as company representatives, even if his counterpart were his grandfather, there'd be no expectation of deference in negotiations.

As heads of their respective companies, neither Shinji nor Johnny Kitagawa would need to bow to the other. 

Even a nod from Shinji would be sufficient, and no one could criticize him. 

However, Shinji was still very young, not even twenty. 

Acting as an equal in such a context would likely result in gossip about the Matou family's lack of proper upbringing.

This was the annoying part about Johnny's. 

Johnny Kitagawa surely knew that even if Shinji bowed at the meeting, it wouldn't lead to any concessions in negotiations. 

The talks would proceed as planned. But souring the atmosphere at the start, gaining a bit of verbal advantage, and venting some pent-up frustration was still possible.

Shinji was almost certain that the Kitagawa siblings would be waiting at the banquet entrance, expecting him to bow. 

But Shinji Matou wasn't someone who liked to play by others' rules, especially when dealing with those who thought too highly of themselves.

So why had Shinji delayed meeting Johnny's for so long?

Isn't it just because Shinji doesn't want Type-Moon to bow to the other side? 

Even if it's just for appearances, he would feel uncomfortable. 

But if Johnny's has Zhang Liang's clever plan, then Shinji has a ladder to counter it.

If it's about seniority, Shinji found someone to back him up. 

Although Kurosawa Hisao is younger than Johnny Kitagawa by a decade, Johnny Kitagawa entered the entertainment industry at a later age. 

Plus, Kurosawa Hisao's father, Akira Kurosawa, is considered the Emperor of Japanese cinema, making him a fitting match for the two old foxes of Johnny's.

Inviting Kurosawa Hisao to support him wasn't easy. 

Shinji not only had the British media award his father Akira Kurosawa with a slew of accolades but also managed to get Kurosawa Hisao appointed as a judge for this year's Cannes Film Festival. 

Kurosawa couldn't refuse such a small request from Shinji after receiving so much help.

Of course, Shinji's efforts to honor Akira Kurosawa and Kurosawa Hisao weren't solely for tonight's dinner. 

He aimed to establish a monument for the Japanese film industry, making Akira Kurosawa an idol and exemplar for Japanese filmmakers. 

Though Shinji himself was involved in commercial cinema, his knowledge of art films was no less extensive. 

He understood that for the film industry to thrive, both highbrow and lowbrow films were necessary. 

Commercial and art films were not in opposition but should learn from each other to progress together.

How many later space sci-fi films were inspired by the art film "2001: A Space Odyssey"? 

Shinji was particularly averse to those who made niche art films yet demanded mainstream recognition, forcing people to praise their work as "great." 

These people spoke of "art" but were always driven by their self-interest.

As for why he chose Akira Kurosawa, it was because, in the entire Japanese film industry, Kurosawa's stature and influence could overshadow all other directors.

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At 7 PM, Tokyo Hotel.

Shinji, Shirou, and Kurosawa Hisao arrived at the banquet just on time. 

The venue was buzzing with activity. 

TBS had spared no expense, inviting everyone they could. 

The lavishly decorated, modern banquet hall's entrance saw Johnny Kitagawa and his sister Mary Kitagawa waiting for Shinji and his party. 

Following them were members of SMAP, including Takuya Kimura, and V6, including Nagano Hiroshi.

"Shinji, do you have some kind of foresight? They're really waiting for you," Shirou whispered, jabbing Shinji. 

Even he recognized the Kitagawa siblings, known for their signature sunglasses and black-rimmed glasses combo.

"Hmph," Shinji smirked, but he also felt a bit puzzled. 

Calling in V6 made sense because of Nagano Hiroshi, but why bring SMAP? 

Surely Johnny Kitagawa wasn't so frail that he needed more people to support him?

'Looks like tonight's negotiations will be interesting.'

Shinji's eyes narrowed slightly. 

As they entered the hall, Shinji deliberately lagged a step behind to let Kurosawa Hisao lead. 

Kurosawa smiled and approached the Kitagawa siblings.

"They're here!" The moment the trio entered, Mary Kitagawa, with her sharp eyesight, immediately recognized the elder Kurosawa. "Akira, Producer Kurosawa is here."

Despite being five years older than her brother, Mary Kitagawa's eyesight was much better. 

Johnny Kitagawa frowned deeply, immediately understanding the reason for Kurosawa Hisao's presence and predicting a tough negotiation ahead.

"Kitagawa siblings, it's been a while. Last time we met was at my father's funeral, wasn't it?" Kurosawa greeted them warmly.

"Producer Kurosawa... hello!" Mary Kitagawa forced a smile. "Producer Kurosawa, it's been a long time," Johnny Kitagawa quickly shook hands with Kurosawa, his smile equally strained.

"President Kitagawa, Vice President Kitagawa, good evening." Shinji, standing behind Kurosawa, wore a sly grin. 

Seizing the opportunity of the elders' greetings, he nodded and quickly shook hands with the Kitagawa siblings, thus evading the formality of a bow.

However, when shaking hands with Johnny Kitagawa, Shinji felt the old man's particularly strong grip.

'You Matou kid, you really don't want to give an inch.'

'Same to you, old man of Johnny's.'

Sparks flew in their eyes as they sized each other up. 

In this first round, Shinji Matou had the upper hand.

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