Master of the Machete Style Manga

Chapter 155 Our President Wants to See You (6000 words)
Mio Natsume strode towards the door without looking back.

"Wait a minute!" came Haruna's voice from behind.

Natsume Mio paused and turned around.

Mikazuki Haruna ran quickly toward her, her little black leather shoes making a rapid "tap-tap-tap" sound on the marble floor.

My baseball cap was about to fall off, so I simply took it off and held it in my hand.

Natsume Mio looked the girl up and down, her gaze lightly sweeping over her harmless chest, but a question came to mind.

She said, "Speaking of which, what are you doing here today?"

"I'm a contracted writer with JUMP, so it's perfectly normal for me to come to Shueisha. But you... you must have sneaked in!"

"I'm here to deliver a bento to the author, and I'll even eat with him," Natsume Mio said with a slight smile. "Now I have to go back to practice my voice acting. I can't let Ken's anime adaptation fall behind. Haruna-senpai, please come and watch the Chainsaw Man anime when it airs!"

"Voice acting? Could it be that you've already been chosen as a voice actress?" Haruna Mikazuki asked.

"It's only a matter of time," Natsume Mio said confidently.

After saying that, she walked straight out of the Shueisha gate.

Mikazuki Haruna stood there, watching Natsume Mio disappear outside the door, before letting out a soft snort: "Heh, the anime of 'Chainsaw Man'? I'm really looking forward to it. If you want to be a voice actress for Ken's works, you'll have to ask me first."

That guy, he just had lunch with Ah Jian, does he really think he's won?

Haruna Mikazuki stood in the lobby on the first floor and didn't go upstairs because Tomohiro Ohno, the editor-in-chief in charge of her work, was also in a meeting.

Today's meeting was indeed about the anime adaptation of "Chainsaw Man." She just happened to be in a meeting, so she asked Kyoko Hanabe to call Ken Sakamoto over. It wasn't a meeting that she specifically asked Kyoko to arrange.

Mikazuki Haruna thought that from the time Natsume Mio went in until she came out at noon today, it was less than an hour.

During this time, we also need to eat, and this happens in places like the company where other people are present.

They wouldn't do anything particularly outrageous, would they?
That lipstick on his lips must have come from kissing Ken Sakamoto.

Regardless of whether it was a forced kiss or not, she's already taken it!

hateful!

That Natsume Mio actually ate it!
Haruna Mikazuki felt she couldn't wait any longer.

Her original plan was to appear as the president of the investor when the animation production was halfway through.

This gave Ken Sakamoto a big surprise, making him fully realize who his sugar daddy was.

Even if you don't want to, you can't, because once you sign a contract, there's a penalty for breach of contract.

But now it seems that Natsume Mio's offensive was too fierce.

If we wait any longer, Ah Jian might actually be tricked by her using such low-level tricks!
What if they actually do it?
The plan must be moved forward!

Mikazuki Haruna took out her phone, found Hanabe Kyoko's profile picture on LINE, and started typing rapidly, sending several messages to Hanabe Kyoko in succession.

After sending the message, she didn't linger at Shueisha, but went to the parking lot and drove home.

In the conference room, the discussion finally came to an end at 3:30 p.m.

"Alright, that's all for today regarding the overall framework and adaptation plan for the first season."

Editor-in-Chief Tomohiro Ohno closed his notebook and said, "We'll need Mr. Aikawa and Director Mizushima to work on the specific script for the later stages."

Seiji Mizushima nodded: "We will produce a first draft of the script as soon as possible."

Everyone stood up and began to gather the documents in front of them.

Kenya Sakamoto stood up. He had spent almost the entire afternoon listening in, but he still gained a lot.

Watching industry veterans like director Mizushima and director Noboru Aikawa meticulously analyze the characters' motivations and camera work frame by frame, taking into account the style of the background music, and marking these aspects on the storyboard.

Just as Ken Sakamoto was about to leave with Keiko Kaji, he heard the voice of Kyoko Hanabe, the representative of NESX, from behind him.

"Sakamoto-sensei, please wait a moment."

Ken Sakamoto stopped and turned around. Kyoko Hanabe was walking towards him with a smile.

"Ms. Hanabe, is there anything else?" Ken Sakamoto asked.

"Um, could I have a few minutes of your time to talk to you alone?" Hanabe Kyoko gestured for him to walk down the corridor.

“Of course.” Ken Sakamoto nodded.

The two of them lagged slightly behind Tomohiro Ohno and Keiko Kaji, walking side by side toward the elevator, talking as they went.

"Mr. Sakamoto, first of all, thank you again for taking time out of your busy schedule to come today," said Kyoko Hanabe. "To be honest, our president greatly admires your work."

"Hanabe-san, you're too kind," Sakamoto Ken quickly said. "I should be thanking your company for your support. I'm just a newcomer, and it's an honor for me to receive such a large investment."

“No.” Hanabe Kyoko shook her head slightly, her tone very serious. “Sakamoto-sensei, you may not be aware that this investment in Chainsaw Man is the highest-level S-class project within the company. This decision was made by the president, who overruled all objections. The president believes that your work has great potential.”

Upon hearing this, Ken Sakamoto was genuinely startled.

"The president personally made the decision?"

He thought it was just a routine business investment, but he didn't expect it was the other company president who had his eye on it.

“Yes,” Hanabe Kyoko answered affirmatively. “That’s why we invited you to be our animation consultant. We really want to ensure that the animation adaptation stays true to Sakamoto-sensei’s core vision.”

"Understood, I will fully cooperate with the production team," Sakamoto Ken said solemnly.

“That’s great.” Hanabe Kyoko smiled and continued, “Also, I sent a scan of the latest storyboard you brought today to the president. He was very impressed after reading it, so he hopes to have the opportunity to talk to you in person.”

"Huh?" Sakamoto Ken was slightly taken aback. "The president wants to see me?"

Hanabe Kyoko smiled and explained, "Sakamoto-sensei, don't be nervous. The president simply admires your talent and wants to exchange thoughts on your work. It's not a formal business meeting."

"I see..." Sakamoto Ken didn't actually feel relieved.

Although Kyoko Hanabe said this was not a formal business meeting, she probably hoped to use an informal setting to test whether the project was worth investing more money in.

“By the way,” Kyoko Hanabe changed the subject, “before arranging your meeting with the president, we will pay you the first copyright prepayment stipulated in the contract, as well as your consultant salary.”

Kyoko Hanabe explained, "Our company hopes to express our sincerity in this way. The finance department is already processing the paperwork, and the funds will be transferred to your account soon. I will then contact you again to finalize the specific time for your meeting with the president."

What else could Ken Sakamoto say?

The other party was so eager to give him money that he had no reason to refuse.

“Okay, I understand, Hanabe-san. I’m mostly free these days, so please arrange your time and contact me anytime,” Sakamoto Ken said.

"Thank you very much for your cooperation, Mr. Sakamoto."

Hanabe Kyoko bowed deeply to him in front of the elevator doors.

"Ah, right."

As she was about to step into the elevator, Sakamoto Ken asked, "Hanabe-san, if I may ask... what kind of person is your company's president? I'd like to prepare in advance so I don't embarrass myself."

Upon hearing this, Hanabe Kyoko gently shook her head and said, "Sakamoto-sensei, you don't need to worry at all. You'll see when you meet him. The president is a very nice person."

She sounded like she was reluctant to talk about it, but hearing her say that the president was a very nice person made Sakamoto Ken feel a little more at ease.

He shouldn't be a decaying old man, after all, NESX is too efficient, even abnormally so.

Moreover, they are willing to invest independently, which is rare in the industry. It was only after Netflix developed in Japan and became a well-funded and globally-oriented film and television platform that animation companies could have enough sources of income even without following the traditional process of television stations. Only then did companies start to invest heavily in producing animation independently.

For example, last week's episode of "Chainsaw Man" was produced entirely by MAPPA.

Given the conservative nature of the Japanese animation industry, such an investment decision would typically be met with resistance from publishers, television stations, advertisers, and so on.

After repeated wrangling and negotiations among the companies, it can take six months or even a year to make a final decision.

However, considering this is "Chainsaw Man," it's quite normal for the president of NESX Investment Company to be optimistic about it, which shows that he really knows his stuff. We can have a serious discussion about the comic later.

Ken Sakamoto returned to the studio. He quickly opened the door after pressing his fingerprint and immediately looked at where his three assistants were.

Great, no one slacked off.

Upon hearing the door open, Endo Tatsuya and the other two turned around to look.

"Sakamoto-sensei".

"Sakamoto-sensei is finally back."

The three greeted Ken Sakamoto.

Ken Sakamoto walked into the room and said, "Thank you for your hard work, all three of you."

He immediately got to work, checking the three assistants' drawings for the day. The content of chapter 24 was almost finished, and the official content of the first three volumes of the manga would be completed soon.

As for the storyboard, Ken Sakamoto has now completed chapter 33. The next chapter will feature the Shark Demon, Spider Demon, and Angel Demon making their collective appearance, in preparation for the characters appearing in the upcoming Reize arc.

The preceding content was continuous, but the Raise arc, which consists of 13 episodes from Raise's appearance to her departure, can actually be considered a relatively independent unit, so it wouldn't be a problem to adapt it into an animated film on its own.

Moreover, the film adaptation rights fee would definitely be higher. NESX is such a wealthy company, why don't we just bring up the Reige episode when we meet with their president?
Anyway, it's just a discussion with investors; we don't need to complete the formal content, just draw the storyboard.

In the evening, after his three assistants left for the day, only Ken Sakamoto remained in the studio.

His assistants have gone home, but he hasn't; he's still sitting at his drawing table, drawing storyboards.

I made an appointment with Kyoko Hanabe, the representative of NESX, to meet with the president of NESX for a face-to-face meeting.

Ken Sakamoto knew very well that although the other party said it was "just a casual chat," he had to show enough sincerity and offer enough leverage.

What he can offer is the plot of what follows in the Chainsaw Man movie.

The investors were willing to spend hundreds of millions to start the animation adaptation when the comic had only been serialized for two months, because they saw the potential of the work.

So, once they see just how huge this potential is, subsequent cooperation will naturally go much smoother.

So he decided to finish it as soon as possible and set his sights on bringing the storyboard to the end of Volume 6.

"The Leijie Chapter..."

Ken Sakamoto took a deep breath, recalling the scene that was arguably the emotional climax of "Chainsaw Man".

The encounter in the phone booth in the rain, the coffee shop... then the school at night, the battle, the farewell at the beach, and finally, Reige coming to find Dianci.

As a result, he was killed by that wicked woman, Machima!
A story that is brief, intense, yet destined for destruction.

Ken Sakamoto picked up his pen and devoted himself entirely to drawing.

By late at night, a thick stack of completed storyboards had piled up on the table.

Ken Sakamoto felt so dizzy from drawing that he quickly washed up and went to bed.

The next morning, he started drawing again, and by the time his three assistants arrived at the studio, the storyboard for the fifth volume was complete.

Around noon, Natsume Mio arrived.

Today she wore a pure white dress, paired with equally white stockings, her signature red braids hanging down her chest, and she was carrying a familiar insulated lunch bag.

"Ken, good afternoon~" Natsume Mio looked at Sakamoto Ken and said with some concern, "Ken, you don't seem to be very energetic." "I was working on my manuscript very late yesterday." Sakamoto Ken yawned and stepped aside to let her in.

Mio Natsume walked into the studio with practiced ease, first politely greeting her three assistants before skillfully going to the counter and taking out the bento box.

She opened the box: "I made a pork cutlet bento today, come and have a taste."

The rich aroma instantly filled the studio.

Ken Sakamoto was indeed hungry. He walked to his seat and sat down, saying to his three assistants, "Let's stop drawing here this morning and take a break at noon."

Ryuyuki Shin was the first to stand up, looking at Sakamoto Ken and Natsume Mio, then at his three companions.

They huddled together and whispered a few words before going out together.

"Sakamoto-sensei, let's go eat at a restaurant outside," Endo Tatsuya said to Sakamoto Ken.

"Okay, remember to bring the receipt back for reimbursement," Sakamoto Ken nodded and said.

The three assistants bowed slightly to Sakamoto Ken and then hurriedly left, afraid of delaying some important matter for Sakamoto Ken.

Mio Natsume placed the bento box and chopsticks in front of Ken Sakamoto, and then sat down in the chair opposite him.

Just as Kenjiro Sakamoto was about to start eating, his cell phone suddenly vibrated in his pocket.

He took out his phone and glanced at it.

Ai Hoshihara: "Log in?"

Ken Sakamoto turned his gaze to Mio Natsume, who was watching him with anticipation as he tasted her cooking.

His fingers flew across the screen as he replied.

Ken Sakamoto: "I can't get on."

Ai Hoshihara: "With another woman?"

Seeing that Ken Sakamoto was staring at his phone and not eating, Mio Natsume's expression gradually changed from puzzled to wary.

Ken Sakamoto had already turned off his phone screen and put it back in his pocket.

"Ken, what's wrong?" Natsume Mio blinked her big eyes and asked, "Is it something about work?"

Ken Sakamoto said without changing his expression, "No, it was sent by another girl."

Natsume Mio's smile froze slightly, but she quickly recovered and asked casually, "Oh... what did she want to see you about?"

“It’s nothing, they just asked what I was doing,” Ken Sakamoto said.

"Then what did you say to Ken?" Natsume Mio pressed.

Ken Sakamoto picked up a piece of fried pork chop and put it in his mouth, chewing it slowly and feeling the tender meat juice bursting in his mouth.

"Mmm, delicious." He praised it first.

"Don't interrupt! What exactly did you say?"

Ken Sakamoto said, "What you just saw, I just glanced at the message and then didn't reply to her."

Mio Natsume first pouted, looking somewhat displeased.

But then she remembered that Ken Sakamoto wasn't replying to that guy's messages because he was having dinner with her.

The key point is that I haven't kept it from her.

When Ken Sakamoto was speaking just now, his expression didn't seem like he was lying at all.

What does this mean?
This shows that in Ah Jian's heart, I am much more important than her!

The gloom on Natsume Mio's face vanished, and a smile returned.

She smiled slightly and placed a piece of fried pork cutlet from her lunchbox into Sakamoto Ken's hands.

She quickly picked up a piece of tamagoyaki from her own lunchbox and put it into Sakamoto Ken's bowl.

"Hehe... Ah Jian, eat, eat more~"

Ken Sakamoto unceremoniously picked up a tamagoyaki (Japanese rolled omelet) and put it in his mouth: "Hmm, it's really good."

Natsume Mio looked at him with satisfaction, already starting to make plans in her mind.

The woman who just messaged Ken must be Mikazuki Haruna!
With ulterior motives!

Hmph, that guy, he's still not giving up, always trying to harass Ah Jian!
After finishing her meal, Natsume Mio opened Mikazuki Haruna's LINE chat.

She sent over the photos of the two bento boxes she had taken before eating them.

Natsume Mio: "I made Ken's bento again! We just finished eating together~ /Happy"

Mio Natsume: "Ken said it's delicious and wants me to make it with him every day~"

After sending the message, Natsume Mio looked at the second line she had typed and suddenly noticed a small error.

Do it with him?
There was a typo; it should be "make it for him"...

but……

Forget it, let's leave it as it is, I won't change it.

Let that guy guess for himself!
Guess what we did!

……

After Sakamoto Ken finished his bento, Natsume Mio took the initiative to clean up everything.

Ken Sakamoto sat back down at his drawing table and then took out his phone to look at the pictures.

My phone vibrated several times in my pocket just now; they were all messages from Ai Hoshihara.

Ai Hoshihara: "Read but not replying?"

Ai Hoshihara: "Okay, so you're with them, right? Tell me, which ones? You're not with them all, are you?"

Ken Sakamoto typed back: "Just finished eating. I don't use my phone while eating."

Ai Hoshihara: "I'll let it go today, but you have to come tomorrow afternoon."

Ken Sakamoto glanced at the date; tomorrow was Saturday, and he was indeed free in the afternoon.

Ken Sakamoto replied, "Want to come to your house?"

Ai Hoshino: "Sleeping here is fine, but it would be better if you came to my place."

Ken Sakamoto: "I'd better just go to sleep. I'm afraid I can't handle it in real life."

Ai Hoshihara: "Vegetable."

Ken Sakamoto: "See you tomorrow afternoon."

Ai Hoshino: "I'll wait for you. If you don't come, you'll be sorry."

Ken Sakamoto and Ai Hoshihara made a promise to meet in their dreams tomorrow.

He actually prefers to meet in dreams, since it's a bit too much in reality, but in dreams, everything is fine once he wakes up.

In the following time, Ken Sakamoto continued to draw storyboards.

Until around 4 p.m.

Ken Sakamoto's phone vibrated again; this time it was a text message notification from the bank.

"Mitsubishi UFJ Bank: You have a transfer request."
Amount: 2,000,000 yen... Note: Consulting fee (NESX Company)

"Mitsubishi UFJ Bank: You have a transfer request."
Amount: 3,000,000 yen... Note: Copyright fee (NESX Company)

coming!

Ken Sakamoto stared at the long string of numbers on his phone screen, a surge of elation welling up inside him.

Five million yen!
This is the largest sum of money he has received so far.

Just as he was getting excited, a LINE message popped up from Kyoko Hanabe.

Kyoko Hanabe: "Good afternoon, Sakamoto-sensei. Have you received the payment?"

Ken Sakamoto: "Just received it, thank you so much! Ms. Hanabe, your efficiency is truly remarkable."

Kyoko Hanabe: "After all, it was the president who personally urged us to make this special arrangement. Also, the president has time tomorrow morning and would like to meet with you. Would that be convenient for you?"

Thinking about tomorrow's schedule, the morning is indeed free, and I only have a dream date with Hoshino Ai in the afternoon.

Ken Sakamoto: "Tomorrow morning is fine, around what time?"

Hanabe Kyoko: "How about 10 o'clock?"

Ken Sakamoto: "No problem, but how long will the meeting with the chairman take?"

Hanabe Kyoko: "I don't know, but it shouldn't take more than an hour."

Ken Sakamoto: "Sure, but where is your company located?"

Kyoko Hanabe: "There's no need for you to come over in person, Mr. Sakamoto. I'll come back to pick you up a little earlier."

Ken Sakamoto: "Does Hanabe-san know the address of the studio?"

Kyoko Hanabe: "The contract includes Sakamoto-sensei's address, 2-29 Taito-ku, right?"

Ken Sakamoto: "The address is correct, thank you for your help."

Next, Ken Sakamoto continued drawing storyboards.

After his assistants left work, he remained seated at his desk until late at night.

Then, early the next morning, he got up again and drew for two hours, which finally completed all the storyboards up to the end of the sixth volume.

After drawing at such a high intensity for three days, Ken Sakamoto felt his hands were slightly numb.

At 9:30 a.m., the studio doorbell rang.

Ken Sakamoto had already changed into a more formal outfit. He picked up his backpack containing the original storyboard drafts and went to the door.

Outside, a black Lexus sedan was parked.

Kyoko Hanabe stood at the door and bowed slightly to Ken Sakamoto: "Mr. Sakamoto, I've come to take you to the company. Please."

She opened the back door for Ken Sakamoto and then stepped aside to let him pass.

Ken Sakamoto sat in the car, leaning back in the spacious executive sedan.

The vehicle started smoothly and headed towards the port area.

(End of this chapter)