My girlfriend is Saiki Kusunoki

Upon seeing the other person's face, the straight man felt that it looked strangely familiar.

"Ha, Araki-sensei, what are you saying? You're saying you're getting old, so what are we supposed to do?"

Upon hearing the words of this great master, Sorachi Ape could only smile wryly.

It was only then that everyone realized that this senior whom even Mr. Kubo respected so much was actually the Araki Old Demon they all knew.

Okay, this is indeed a heavyweight contender. Come to think of it, even Naoto almost forgot that this person is actually a JUMP manga artist.

To his surprise, at this party, Naoto got to know all of his idol manga artists in one night, which surprised him but also left him feeling a little overwhelmed.

Faced with these top comic artists, Naoto was like a silly child.

Chapter 94: Overlapping Shadows

To be honest, I really can't tell that this senior, who can basically be called the grandfather of straight people, is over sixty years old.

Among all the manga artists present, there were probably very few with more seniority than this person. With such a senior figure present, Naoto and the others immediately became the focus of everyone's attention at the banquet.

It must be said that with the guidance of their seniors, Naoto and the others were no longer embarrassed.

Even when faced with writers they didn't know, they could still identify who they truly were.

Many writers are happy to get to know Naoto, this rising star. After all, in Jump, other manga artists are not just rivals, but also partners and helpers.

In fact, the friendships among comic artists can sometimes be quite strong. After all, comic artists basically don't have the concept of colleagues; they mostly keep in touch with friends.

Think back to the original story, where Azuki was forced by her agency to voice a crow, and it was only thanks to the help of a little angel that she was able to get away with it safely.

If it weren't for a group of writers helping each other, we probably wouldn't even be able to find anyone if something really happened.

Getting to know a big shot is of paramount importance in making friends. Who wouldn't want to meet the most influential person in the comics industry right now and become friends with them?

It was precisely because of this that Naoto, under the guidance of several seniors, had a real taste of being the center of attention.

Seeing Naoto surrounded by a group of big shots, Moritaka and Akito couldn't help but show expressions of envy.

Even though they attended the banquet, in other people's eyes, the two were still a new couple, or even just a new couple with some potential.

Not to mention comparing him to someone like Naoto, he's not even as good as Eiji Niizuma, who's acting crazy on the sidelines.

Faced with this situation, the two young people secretly vowed that they would become like Naoto in the future.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the JUMP year-end party hosted by Shueisha on this cold night. I am Sasaki, the host of the party."

Just as everyone started chatting and laughing, the time finally came for the party to begin.

The person hosting the banquet this time was none other than Mr. Sasaki, the editor-in-chief of JUMP.

In addition to the usual games and raffles that are common at other companies' dinners, JUMP's dinner party has one activity that many manga artists look forward to.

That is JUMP's selection of the best author and best book of the year this year.

Actually, this is similar to other companies' employee of the year.

However, for cartoonists, this is actually an honor.

However, everyone already knows who the best work of the year is.

After all, the vampires' performance this year has been so outstanding that, not to mention the writers who followed Naoto into battle, even the writers from other publishing houses have been defeated.

Of course, aside from the fact that Naoto has already finished the story of vampires, everything else is perfect.

But it doesn't really matter.

After all, for comics, sales figures speak for themselves.

Even though Fujimoto Tatsuki had already ended the first Chainsaw Man movie, it still couldn't stop Chainsaw Man from being adapted into an anime, right?

Although the Bloodline manga has ended, the anime series is still airing and its popularity is unparalleled. Basically, no one thinks that any work this year can compete with such a formidable force.

To put it bluntly, this banquet might actually be a personal affair for Naoto. Given his achievements this year, he could easily dominate the entire event by himself.

In the weekly manga, the vampires wreaked havoc on the entire manga world. In the monthly manga, "Cooking Master Boy" was even hailed by readers as a guide to Chinese cuisine, directly promoting the development of Chinese cuisine throughout Tokyo and even Japan.

To outsiders, this person seemed like a walking disciple of the Wind Spirit Moon Shadow Sect, completely unsolvable. They, a bunch of insignificant followers, were better off not trying to meddle with a god. They had no shame.

Not to mention the animation production team and other company staff, many of whom came today with the hope of meeting a true friend.

People are mostly curious about this young writer, who is perhaps only a fraction of their age.

Wait a minute, what will this guy, who has already achieved what many writers can't in a lifetime, say? Will he be full of pride or smug satisfaction? Where will this prodigy's path lead him in the future?

Naoto didn't seem to care much about the curiosity of others at that moment.

He and Nanzi are now completely immersed in the joy of the game.

During the raffle, Nanako used her abilities to help her friends get what they wanted. They also watched various manga artists perform on stage. Everyone burst into laughter when they saw that Enguchi-sensei had secretly put on her cosplay outfit and gone offstage again, hiding from Sasahara-editor.

Today, Naoto doesn't want to think about his work or plan for the future. He just wants to enjoy this rare moment of joy with Nanko.

What could be more important than happiness?

When Nanko used her abilities to obtain a year's supply of coffee jelly and smiled happily, Naoto felt that all the fatigue he had accumulated over the previous year had disappeared.

"Nanzi, did you have a good day?"

At this moment, Naoto, holding Nanako's hand, stood in a corner of the banquet hall and asked his girlfriend.

"It was very fun and interesting. I never thought that it could be so interesting with so many people."

Nanzi looked at the stage in the banquet hall, where Qi Mu's father was performing.

Saiki's father made full use of his high school talent, and his performance made many cartoonists and industry leaders laugh out loud.

Today is not only the happiest day for Zhi Ren, but also the happiest day for Nan Zi.

Not only did she receive so many gifts with Naoto, but it was also the first time that Nanko had met so many manga artists. She gained a deeper understanding of what kind of people these manga artists were and what difficulties they encountered during their creative process.

I have a feeling that Nanzi understands Naoto better now.

"Naoto, will you come again next year?"

"Hmm? Of course, after all, I'm aiming to become the man who will become the number one manga series."

"Then let's come back next year."

Looking at his girlfriend's beautiful face, Naoto felt a surge of heat in his heart.

"I'll come with you no matter how many times you want to come."

As Naoto spoke softly, their shadows gradually merged together.

Starting tomorrow, Naoto will begin his busy life again.

Chapter 95: The Final Volume, Monster-Level Sales

As the sun rose in the east and shone into Naoto's room, he gradually woke up from his sleep.

Because he went to bed so late last night, Naoto's mind was still a little foggy.

The touch on his lips and the fragrance surrounding his nose from last night kept Naoto awake all night. Whenever he closed his eyes, Nanko's face was all he could think of.

With budding romantic feelings, how could a teenager like Naoto resist?

Last night, Naoto had to recite the Heart-Cleansing Mantra for about half the night before he could finally fall asleep.

However, even though his mind was a little foggy, Naoto still remembered one thing: today was the day the final volume of Bloodline would be released.

Although it is still the New Year holiday, the bookstore opened early today.

Naoto's comics have long been placed in the "Manager's Recommendation" section of major bookstores.

Months ago, bookstore managers realized that to make money, they had to acquire as many vampire comics as possible.

This kind of thing is only rare, never plentiful.

The terrifying level of activity in the previous incidents is still fresh in the minds of many store managers.

Now, with the anime adaptation, the popularity of Bloodline has increased even more. To pave the way for the final volume of Bloodline, JUMP even released only one volume of Bloodline on this particular day, which shows just how powerful it is.

Compared to JUMP, the manga artists who knew that the final volume of Bloodline would be released together all had faces like their mothers had died; it was utterly disgusting.

Why did I have to run into such a monster? Is this even possible for anyone to live?

Even the industry veterans no longer want to compete with this freak, Naoto.

Although Naoto is a rising star, he is now in no way inferior to them.

If we say that during the previous three-way battle for supremacy, people could still call it a meat grinder, capable of competing with the straight people to some extent.

But now everyone understands that unless you're a well-known big shot, you shouldn't even think about going head-to-head with a straight person; that's unrealistic.

"The emergency sales figures for the final volume of 'The Bloodline' in one hour are out!"

Inside the JUMP editorial department, an editor rushed in, holding an urgent report from the data department, and handed it to editor Sasaki and Saiki's father.

"Twenty thousand volumes in one hour? Are you kidding me?" When they saw this number, everyone in the editorial department felt their hearts stop.

It's no wonder they're making such a fuss; you have to understand that Naoto's best sales record was 18,000 copies in one hour.

Everyone was already amazed by his talent at that time.

However, no one expected that Naoto would once again surpass himself, breaking through to the level of 20,000.

It's important to understand that once any data reaches an integer, it becomes a world of difference.

Sales of 20,000 volumes would be considered monstrous at any time.

Now everyone just wants to know what the sales limits of a straight person are.

"Wait a minute, if Naoto-sensei sells out again this time, wouldn't that mean that the average sales of 'Bloodline' will exceed 1.5 million copies per volume?"

At that moment, an editor suddenly said this.

The editorial department was in an uproar once again.

An average of 1.5 million copies? That number sounds terrifying.

While this may not be entirely accurate, it's similar to an online novel with an average subscription of 1.5 million. Just think about how terrifying that number is.

You should know that comics have a bottom line.

A guaranteed minimum, a second installment, and a bestseller. An average of over 50,000 copies sold per volume can be considered a bestseller, 100,000 per volume can be considered a popular work, 200,000 per volume is an extremely popular work, and 500,000 per volume is enough to make a name for oneself in history.