Chapter Nine, The Little Mermaid

For instance, Nippon Television Network Corporation is an affiliated enterprise of the Yomiuri Shimbun; TBS JNN is affiliated with the Mainichi Shimbun; Fuji Television is a part of the Fuji Sankei Group; Asahi Television was founded by the Asahi Shimbun, and even Tokyo Television, which was not prominent in the 1990s, is also an affiliated enterprise of the Nihon Keizai Shimbun

It is a pity that in 1994, short skirts and JK uniforms could not be seen. It seems that Japanese school uniforms are constantly evolving. In the late 1980s, there was a retro trend where girls favored long skirts, and everyone wore longer skirts, with school uniform skirts almost reaching the ankles. Subsequently, the trend changed again, becoming shorter year by year, and it wasn't until the early 2000s that it completely reversed, with aesthetic preferences shifting back to short skirts. Girls began to desperately shorten their skirts to wear over-the-knee socks, and it wasn't considered complete until they created an absolute territory. School uniform skirts were almost reaching the ankles, and then the trend changed again, becoming shorter year by year, and it wasn't until the early 2000s that it completely reversed, with aesthetic preferences shifting back to short skirts. Girls began to desperately shorten their skirts to wear over-the-knee socks, and it wasn't considered complete until they created an absolute territory.

Alright, it seems that nothing major happened after all. I really cannot comprehend the thought process of mischievous children

Rinto Chihara followed the three female high school students through a short alley and arrived at another path, where he directly saw a pebble beach and a river.

By the time she emerged again, she had already swum across nearly half of the river's surface. She directly grabbed the neck of that mischievous child from behind, shouting in a disordered manner: "Don't move around, I will drag you to the shore! Ah, I told you not to move! I am the daughter of the sea, and I swear by the name of the Dragon God that I will absolutely not let you drown!"

He turned out from the small path where the apartment is located and stepped onto the only commercial street in this old neighborhood, walking towards the station on the slightly slippery bluestone pavement

The Tokyo Broadcasting System (TEB) headquarters is a complex of buildings. The structures are somewhat aged and not very tall, with only nineteen stories. However, the rooftop is adorned with various antennas, including satellite dishes and spires, which give the building a particularly grand and imposing appearance

He tightened his tie for psychological warmth, considering that once he had money, he would buy a trench coat, and then he headed towards the train station

Qian Yuan Rinto was intently staring at the three high school girls in long skirts, lost in a state of divergent thinking, when suddenly he heard a sharp child's voice, "Help! Guitai has fallen into the river! Help! Help! Someone, please come!"

The Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK), modeled after the BBC, claims to have no political stance and to be absolutely impartial, but the reality is somewhat ambiguous. In any case, the budget is subject to scrutiny by the National Diet. However, it is true that this organization primarily relies on viewer fees for its operating expenses and generally does not accept any other forms of financial support. According to the Broadcasting Act, anyone who can receive NHK's signal is obligated to pay fees to ensure its independent operation, free from government or corporate influence.

The three female high school students were running ahead of him, and it seemed they were about to cross the road and rush onto the shallow bank. One of them, with shoulder-length hair, tossed her backpack into her companion's arms while running and shouted, "Saint Son, Mist Veil, I am going to save him!"

But to be honest, even Chihara Rinto, the traveler from this parallel world, cannot figure out which Japanese commercial broadcaster Tokyo Broadcasting System (TBS) corresponds to in the original world.

Rinto Chihara did not mind the minor incident during the journey and arrived at Tokyo Broadcasting TEB at 8:12, waiting for Iori Murakami not far from the entrance, while taking a good look at the place where he would be working.

No wonder he carries a strong smell of fish, but he is a good person

Rinto Chihara approached with a smile and replied, "No, Miss Murakami, it is I who arrived early"

... ...

For instance, television stations such as Chukyo TV, Tokai TV, Nagoya TV, and Chubu Nippon Broadcasting are all located in the Guanzhong region. However, each has aligned itself with a major network, receiving program broadcasts from the four large private television stations, and to a certain extent, they are managed by these four large private television stations, thus constituting a part of the private broadcasting network.

In theory, the signal range of these television stations can only be confined to a certain area to avoid influencing national public opinion. However, by consolidating local stations into a network, it is essentially possible to achieve nationwide broadcasting, which is referred to as the private broadcasting network

Consequently, apart from NHK, Japanese television stations do not aggressively compete for news; they often wait for newspapers to report first before delving deeper into the stories, in order to avoid affecting newspaper sales—Japan was once the country with the highest newspaper subscription rate in the world. This does not imply that everyone loves reading newspapers, but rather that one could only obtain the latest news through newspapers.

The moment of signing has arrived

At this time, more and more people arrived, and a police officer on a bicycle also came running. The shallow area was in chaos, and the mischievous child who was fished out would likely face a good beating. Chihara Rinto watched for a while and then turned around to head back to the station.

This point must be noted in the future; one cannot always view 1994 and 1995 through the lens of 2019. Although it has only been a little over twenty years, such an approach could lead to significant problems

The Tokyo area is the estuary of several rivers, and more than ten artificial canals have been constructed, resulting in a dense network of water transportation. Not far from this commercial street, there is a river, seemingly a tributary of the Mukawa River. The river is not wide, but the current is swift, posing a significant threat if a child were to fall into the water

There should be quite a few more buildings behind, such as photography studios and parking lots, but from the entrance looking in, only this much can be seen

As Qian Yuan Rinto ran while observing the situation, he noticed several large and small rocks protruding from the river surface. Guitai, that mischievous child, probably intended to jump from one small rock to the largest one and then back again, to demonstrate his bravery or something—who knows what that kid was thinking. In any case, he was now gripping a corner of a rock submerged in the water, being swept by the river current, and was at any moment likely to lose his grip. His face turned pale with fear, and he was so terrified that he couldn't even cry.

The three female high school students who were playfully fighting suddenly paused, and after a moment of hesitation, they immediately ran towards a small alley. Chihara Rinto also involuntarily followed them—everyone possesses a sense of compassion, and when suddenly hearing someone cry for help, especially a child, it is difficult to remain indifferent. This reflects the thread of pure kindness that exists deep within the human heart, even in the presence of ruthless criminals.

In the past two days, there has been continuous rainfall, and Tokyo has experienced a significant drop in temperature, finally resembling winter a bit

Qian Yuan Rinto let out a slight sigh of relief, and his hand that was in the process of taking off his suit jacket came to a halt—being from the north, he was not a strong swimmer and had little confidence in rescuing someone from the water. If this high school girl did not take the initiative to volunteer, he would have to brace himself and jump into the river.

There is a sense of regressing in history, but this is the reality

At this moment, it is early morning, and the path by the shallow beach is not a main road, with hardly any pedestrians. Only two elderly women stand anxiously on the shallow beach, and a young boy, holding two backpacks, is crying and explaining: "Guitai said he could jump onto the biggest rock..."

Finally, the most distinctive aspect of Japan is that all four major private television stations are either controlled by newspaper companies or hold a significant amount of shares.

In addition to the main building, two nine-story annexes can also be seen from the outside, with various antennas on their rooftops, and the courtyard is enclosed by these three buildings

Qian Yuan Rento was engrossed in watching, and in his mind, he was trying to determine which private broadcaster Tokyo Broadcasting TEB resembled based on the legal regulations regarding broadcasting areas. However, he was indecisive between TBS JNN and Nippon Television. At that moment, Murakami Iori arrived and greeted him from a distance: "Sorry, Qian Yuan-san, for keeping you waiting."

Therefore, Japanese commercial television stations tend to favor entertainment-oriented broadcasting content, leading to the emergence of a production bureau system. Their news programs are fewer, while entertainment slots are more abundant, resulting in a greater need for program production. Consequently, they strive to minimize costs as much as possible. Additionally, there is fierce competition among the four major players, all aiming to outdo one another, necessitating meticulous craftsmanship and a focus on quality to achieve victory.

Certainly, there are also television stations that do not join the network, as well as those that establish their own regional broadcasting networks, but they are all small in scale, operating on a modest budget. Engaging in television shopping is much more enthusiastic than producing programs. A small broadcasting network was formed centered around Tokyo Television, but it has never been able to achieve nationwide broadcasting, remaining limited to the Kanto region.

This is one of the four major private television stations in Japan in this world

If you are going to school, then go to school; why jump into a river halfway there

Apart from this slightly state-owned NHK, the rest are commercial television stations, commonly referred to as private broadcasters, totaling four: Nippon Television Network System (NNS), Asahi Broadcasting Corporation (ANN), Tokyo Broadcasting System (JNN), and Fuji Television Network (FNN)

If a film from 2019 is aired in 1995 without proper modifications, even a blockbuster could potentially flop. Fortunately, the first film selected was "Tales of the Unusual," which first appeared in the 1990s

Moreover, this is the only television station legally permitted to broadcast nationwide, and Japan's "News Broadcast" is also aired by this station

At this moment, Qian Yuan Rinto was in a good mood, and upon seeing this scene, a smile involuntarily appeared on his face—a long white flowing ribbon, a sailor-style open collar, a deep blue long skirt that reached the middle of the calf, thick bubble socks, and black leather shoes, with very little skin visible, quite conservative

The next day, Chihara Rinto woke up early, washed his face and brushed his teeth, tidied himself up neatly, and then put on his only suit, stepping out with a spirited demeanor. However, as soon as he stepped outside, a slight breeze made him shiver.

In other words, in Japan, television stations are subordinate to newspapers, a situation that is quite rare on a global scale

In his original world, it was often joked within the industry that "there are only five television stations in Japan." Of course, this joke is somewhat exaggerated, but in a certain sense, it is not entirely incorrect—there are indeed only five major television networks in Japan

It truly causes trouble for others; such behavior must be dealt with until they become obedient

In front of the main building is a large courtyard, featuring an entrance that lacks a gate and is only monitored by security personnel, and it is quite wide, allowing for the passage of heavy cargo vehicles

In the distance ahead, there are three girls dressed in deep blue sailor uniforms, likely on their way to school, chattering away with each other, occasionally playfully teasing one another, embodying a carefree and joyful atmosphere

At that moment, the three female high school students rushed to the water's edge, chattering excitedly to cheer for the "Little Mermaid." Meanwhile, Chihara Rinto slowed his pace and stopped at the shallow water, feeling that he had little to do with the situation. He simply lifted the bicycle, noticed that the chain had come off, squatted down to fix it, and turned the pedals to ensure it was properly adjusted. On the back seat of the bicycle were two large fish, their scales scraped off and heads chopped off, making the ponytailed girl look like a delivery worker.

To see short skirts worn by high school girls, one must at least wait another seven or eight years. Is it true that different eras have different aesthetics?

It is just a little past 7 a.m. Although it is still early before the agreed time, the traffic situation in a city like Tokyo can be quite poor in the morning. It is better to set out early, as punctuality is a form of trustworthiness. Moreover, trust is often built up over time through small matters and should not be taken lightly

At that moment, a piercing sound of wind erupted, and a round-faced girl in work clothes, reeking of fish and sporting a ponytail, sped past him on her bicycle like a bolt of lightning. In an instant, she overtook the three high school girls, broke through the bushes, and slid down into the shallow water. Without a care for her bicycle, she got up and made a running leap into the river, her movements as swift as lightning, creating a disturbingly small splash.