Advertisers' Frenzied Scramble (Including Family Thread)
That noon, all the major television stations reported on this phenomenon during their midday news broadcasts.
Some were amazed, some were envious, but everyone understood that a new ratings monster had been born.
In the evening, a serious interview program even dedicated a segment to inviting sociologists and media commentators to analyze, in a serious manner, the underlying reasons for the overnight success of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire".
"This fantasy of getting rich overnight is nothing short of poison to the current depressed social mood! It promotes a value system of getting something for nothing and fuels a speculative atmosphere throughout society!" An elderly professor with gray hair said in front of the camera, heartbroken and vehement.
The host immediately handed the microphone to another young commentator.
"I don't think so," the commentator said, adjusting his glasses. "Rather than speculation, it's a reaffirmation of the value of knowledge. The program tells everyone in the most direct way that knowledge is wealth. Doesn't this encourage people, especially young people, to broaden their knowledge and learn more?"
Overnight, whether the show was good or bad became the hottest topic of conversation on the streets and in company break rooms.
By Monday of the third day, the media discussion had reached a fever pitch.
Those who think it's bad just keep repeating the same few phrases: "Getting something for nothing," "spiritual opium," and "encouraging gambling."
Those who think it's good will come up with all sorts of fancy titles, such as "the first shot in turning knowledge into cash," "a learning benchmark in the new era," and "a beacon of hope for ordinary people," showering it with praise one after another.
The more intense the debate, the higher the show's popularity.
Meanwhile, the phone lines at TV Tokyo's GG Department, just like the registration hotline, were ringing off the hook.
"Moshi moshi, this is the GG Department of TV Tokyo —yes, we're very sorry, all the GG slots for the first half of this season of <Who Wants to Be a Millionaire> are sold out—the second half? Okay, I'll register you, but I can't guarantee it—"
Similar conversations echoed throughout the small office, and the operators' voices were almost hoarse from shouting.
Even more outrageous, a director of Dentsu, Japan's largest distributor of GG (Girls' Love) products, personally called the station manager Nakagawa Jun's, office after his subordinates couldn't get through to the GG Department for half an hour.
In the evening, the phone at Nakayama family rang.
Eri had just finished feeding Kazuki and was playing with him on the living room mat when she casually pressed the speakerphone button.
"Eri! Takuya! Are you listening?!" came the almost uncontrollable elation from her father Nakagawa Jun, through the receiver. "We did it! We've succeeded!"
"Dad, we saw the news." Eri smiled and glanced at Takuya, who was studying building blocks next to her.
"News? That's nothing!" Nakagawa Jun's voice rose eight octaves. "You guys didn't see the spectacle on the GG Department! Just now, a director from Dentsu called me personally! He said he wants to reserve all the transition GG slots for the second half of the season! As Takuya mentioned before, I split many GG slots into two halves and sold them, and the auction will begin after the second episode airs next week."
Nakagawa Jun got so excited that he almost couldn't breathe while laughing.
The loud laughter on the phone attracted Xiao Kazuki, who was gnawing on building blocks.
He dropped his toys, crawled over on all fours, pointed at the telephone with his finger and waved it curiously, making a series of clear "ah-da-da-da" sounds.
"Oh! Is that Kazuki!" Nakagawa Jun immediately switched to grandfather mode, his voice softening eight octaves, "Grandpa's talking about something happy! Did you understand?"
"Ugh! Daddy!" Kazuki called out indistinctly.
"Hahaha! Listen to this! Even Kazuki knows it's a great idea!" Nakagawa Jun announced triumphantly on the other end of the phone.
My grandson is a true genius!
Eri was amused by the interaction between the grandfather and granddaughter.
When the second episode aired, a miracle occurred, completely igniting the entire Japan.
A graduate student in the Department of Literature at Kyoto University, with his extraordinary knowledge and strong mental fortitude, overcame numerous obstacles along the way.
He calmly used his three secret strategies and successfully passed the tricky question about Ancient Greece philosophy on the thirteenth question, accumulating a prize of an astonishing three million Japanese yen.
When the host asked him in a trembling voice if he wanted to take on the fourteenth challenge to reach five million Japanese yen, the entire studio and millions of viewers in front of their televisions held their breath.
Everyone remembered the greedy office worker from the first episode who succumbed to the lure of 600,000 Japanese yen.
The young student looked at the number "three million" on the screen, a relaxed smile spreading across his face. He spoke clearly and firmly into the microphone, "I choose to forfeit and take the prize money."
The scene was initially deathly silent, then erupted into thunderous applause.
At this moment, the dream became a reality.
An ordinary person, relying solely on their intelligence, took away three million Japanese yen overnight!
The moment the program ended, the phone at Nakayama Takuya's house rang, as if it had been timed perfectly.
"Takuya! Did you see that?! Three million! He took three million!" came the excited voice of his father-in-law, Nakagawa Jun, from the receiver.
"I saw it, Father-in-law," Nakayama Takuya happily echoed his father-in-law.
"The manager of Kirin Beer just called my office directly from the GG Department, saying that their beer sales have increased by almost 10% overnight!" Nakagawa Jun's voice was full of barely suppressed excitement.
TV Tokyo seized the opportunity and immediately held a conference to advertise for the second half of the season of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire".
The event was held in the largest banquet hall of the Imperial Hotel, yet it was still packed to capacity.
Representatives from major GG companies and sponsors with substantial sums of money all had gleaming eyes like hungry wolves.
They weren't eyeing the small screen on stage, but rather a golden lever that could stimulate consumer desires across Japan.
Nakagawa Jun stood backstage, his palms sweating with nervousness.
He had never seen anything like this in his life.
The auctioneer had just stepped onto the stage and hadn't even properly held the microphone when a man in a sharp suit in the front row stood up.
He is the representative of Dentsu.
"Director Nakagawa," the man said, not looking at the auctioneer but directly towards the backstage area. His voice wasn't loud, but it carried clearly throughout the entire hall, "There's no need for that. Dentsu has the agency rights for all the cutscenes in the second half of the season."
The entire audience erupted in uproar.
The auctioneer was stunned.
The man held up three fingers and stated a number decisively. "Three times the total price of the first half of the season."
"Hiss""
A collective gasp filled the banquet hall.
Even Nakagawa Jun felt his heart skip a beat.
Three times! This isn't sponsorship, this is burning money!
The Dentsu representative looked around, his determined gaze putting immense pressure on all competitors.
They understood that Dentsu was using its absolute power to monopolize the traffic entry point for this phenomenal program.
After confirming that no other clients at the scene had any objections, Nakagawa Jun immediately decided to finalize this exorbitantly priced contract.
Dentsu secured the largest share, while the remaining opening and ending credits, as well as a few minor guest appearances, sparked even fiercer competition.
Prices soared, and the final transaction price even exceeded Nakagawa Jun's most optimistic estimate.