Master of the Machete Style Manga

Chapter 60 Heading to Shueisha (Seeking monthly votes!)

Ken Sakamoto didn't dress up specially. He changed into a clean set of casual clothes, tidied his hair, and left with a file bag containing the manuscript of two chapters.

First, we went to the Aoba Law Office near Ochanomizu Station in Chiyoda Ward.

The firm is located in an ordinary five-story office building. The facade is not large, but the interior is clean and orderly.

Ken Sakamoto pushed open the door and entered. He explained his purpose to the receptionist and was then led to the office inside.

"Sakamoto-san, you've come."

"Good afternoon, Attorney Uchida."

The two didn't exchange many pleasantries, and it seemed that things were quite busy at the law firm. Uchida Shunta pushed a document directly in front of Sakamoto Ken.

“The situation is as described on the phone,” said Attorney Uchida. “After final negotiations, the creditor agreed to waive all accumulated interest, as well as a small portion of the principal… and finally settled on 2470 million yen.”

Ken Sakamoto nodded calmly: "I have no objection."

"Regarding the repayment plan..." Attorney Uchida flipped to the back pages of the document, pointing to the clauses, "Considering that you are about to enroll in university and do not have a stable source of income, the other party agrees to postpone the repayment start date to four years later, that is, from the month you graduate from university."

He paused, then added, "The installment plan is for five years, with monthly payments of approximately 412,000 yen. Of course, if you are able, you can make a full or partial payment at any time in advance."

Earning 41 yuan a month is quite an achievement for an average college graduate.

After all, the average monthly salary of a recent college graduate is just over 200,000 yuan, and after deducting taxes and insurance, the net income is only about 160,000 to 170,000 yuan.

Unless you join a well-known foreign company like Google, Apple, or Goldman Sachs, a fresh graduate's monthly salary is unlikely to exceed 41.

Last week, he was burdened by this debt. In addition to drawing comics, he also had to work part-time. Convenience stores could provide bento boxes, so he could save on food expenses.

Moreover, both jobs are considered freelance work, with no insurance coverage, resulting in a higher percentage of take-home pay compared to a full-time job.

But he didn't actually bear the burden of debt for too long, as the money was funded by Haruna...

But it's different now.

Ken Sakamoto carefully reviewed every clause of the contract. Public interest lawyers provide legal aid free of charge, and the fact that they were able to negotiate the initial debt of over 30 million yen to this point was already the result of Attorney Uchida's best efforts.

After confirming that all the terms were correct, Ken Sakamoto signed his name at the end of the document and stamped it without hesitation.

"Thank you, Attorney Uchida. You've worked hard these past few days." He pushed the documents back.

"This is my job."

Shunta Uchida carefully put away the documents. He knew that this amount of money was actually a large sum for Ken Sakamoto as well, but he had indeed done his best.

To be fair, he could only help Sakamoto Ken negotiate with the other party as much as possible; he couldn't possibly help him repay the debt.

"By the way, Sakamoto-san hasn't had dinner yet, has he?" Uchida asked.

"Not yet," Sakamoto Ken replied.

“It’s almost dinner time. The office always orders extra meals. Would you like to join us?” Uchida Shunta was actually acting out of sympathy. After all, he had learned about Sakamoto Ken’s family situation while helping him with this debt issue.

"That's great!" Sakamoto Ken said without any hesitation. "Thank you, Uchida-san."

In the law firm's common area, Ken Sakamoto and Attorney Uchida sat facing each other at the dining table, with a very generous bento box in front of them.

Unlike convenience store bento boxes, this one is clearly made to order; it would probably cost around 1500 yen if you bought it yourself.

Attorney Uchida finished his bento in silence. He then said to Ken Sakamoto very seriously, "Sakamoto-san, you can come to me for any legal matters in the future."

“Definitely, definitely, and I will pay for it in the future,” Ken Sakamoto said.

"Haha, my fees aren't cheap," Attorney Uchida joked.

“I will earn enough money.” After saying that, Ken Sakamoto threw the lunchbox into the trash can next to him and said, “This is the last time I will apply for pro bono assistance. I will definitely pay normally next time.” “Okay, in addition to litigation-related services, my firm also provides services in taxation, property rights, and asset management. Of course, we also offer criminal defense, but I hope you never have to use it.”

Criminal defense? Does being killed by three women count? Ken Sakamoto wondered to himself.

Uchida sized up Sakamoto Ken. It had been more than a month since they last met, and he felt that the boy in front of him had changed a lot.

When Ken Sakamoto said, "It will be paid in the future," it didn't feel like a joke.

When Ken Sakamoto got up to leave, Uchida shook his hand and saw him downstairs.

This kid might actually have a bright future.

……

Ken Sakamoto left the Aoba Law Office, took a bus, and arrived near Shueisha, which is also located in Chiyoda Ward.

The live stream starts at 8 PM, and it's only a little past 7 PM now.

After speaking with the editor on LINE, Keiko Kaji came down to the lobby to wait for him.

When Kaji Keiko saw Sakamoto Ken, she immediately greeted him with a smile.

"Sakamoto-sensei, you've arrived."

Ken Sakamoto handed her a thick file folder: "Editor-san, these are the latest two chapters of the manuscript."

"Thank you for your hard work." Keiko Kaji took the file bag, clearly feeling its weight. "The live broadcast is at eight o'clock, which is almost an hour away. Let's go to the editorial office's lounge first and take a look at the latest manuscripts."

"Okay, thank you, editor."

Keiko Kaji led him to the lounge next to the editorial department, which was specially prepared for writers.

The room wasn't big, but it was filled with bookshelves full of comics, as well as simple furniture like a sofa and coffee table, creating a very comfortable environment.

"Sakamoto-sensei, coffee or tea?" Kaji Keiko asked.

"A glass of water will be fine."

Keiko Kaji quickly poured him a glass of ice water, then eagerly sat down on the sofa next to Ken Sakamoto, opened the file folder, and took out the original manuscript.

This is episodes 15 and 16 of Chainsaw Man.

"I'll finish reading it soon."

As Keiko Kaji spoke, she immediately immersed herself in the comic.

Ken Sakamoto sat down on the sofa, looking at Keiko Kaji's focused profile, and felt a subtle sense of peace.

He noticed that Keiko Kaji's makeup was more refined than usual today, and her attire was slightly more formal, presumably in preparation for the live broadcast.

Since it's a live interview about his work, as the editor, I should also appear on camera.

When Ken Sakamoto talked to Keiko Kaji about manga, it was clear that she had a strong passion for manga and a very wide range of reading interests.

He doesn't need Jia Zhi's help with the creative process, but he relies on her for all the behind-the-scenes work.

Whether a work can become popular, and to what extent, depends on the quality of the work as a foundation.

If the subsequent operation is done properly and more resources are invested, or if the right team is found when adapting the work, it can even make an originally mediocre work become a hit.

Even if there's a lack of promotion and operation, there are plenty of excellent works on the market that have been neglected.

Having such a professional and responsible editor is truly a blessing.

(End of this chapter)