My Years as a Copyist in Taiwan

Tokuma Bookstore and Kodansha held a significant position in the Japanese entertainment industry during this era.

Tokuma spans publishing, animation, Daiei films, Tokuma Music, and the Tokyo Times, while Kodansha controls the upstream and downstream of publishing and media. If these two giants were to collude, they could practically strangle half of an artist's rise to fame.

Now, Mr. Snail has connected these two lines.

Outside the Tokuma Bookstore headquarters, hundreds of people wait for Mr. Snail every day, sometimes even more than a thousand. Konoe Kazuma never misses a day and comes to check in every day.

Don't think this number isn't enough. Go ask those contractors who were surrounded by migrant workers what the feeling of oppression was like when hundreds or thousands of people surrounded them...

So two days later, Ken-On's producer brought Akina Nakamori into Hayao Miyazaki's studio.

Suzuki Toshio gently opened the wooden door, and Ken-On producer bowed before letting the girl behind him pass.

Seventeen-year-old Akina Nakamori wore a plain sailor-collar dress, her face still slightly chubby, with delicate features. She quickly glanced around the room, her gaze barely touching the figure at the table before she swiftly lowered her eyes again.

Vegetables.

Zhao Wen's hand, which was holding the mechanical pencil, suddenly stopped.

Not the Showa-era diva in a fiery red dress on a future stage, but with shattered ice hidden in her eyes, but a little deer that had wandered into an art studio. His heart felt as if it had been gently bumped by something, which he quickly forced down.

Zhao Wen stared intently at Nakamori Akina with a blank expression.

If Zhao Wen was feigning composure but utterly defeated, then Nakamori Mei was a woman who, with forced restraint, was instantly captivated, her mind already in turmoil.

Just now, when Suzuki Toshio gently pulled the door open, Nakamori Akina almost slipped the lyric book from her hand.

She felt she had mentally prepared herself, and even practiced her greetings more than a dozen times in the van, from "Hello Mr. Snail, I am Akina Nakamori" to "It is an honor to participate in your work," and she even pondered the tone of her voice repeatedly.

But when she actually saw that person sitting in the light and shadow, with a buzz cut that was breathtakingly handsome and a dark purple shirt, the moment he looked up at her, Nakamori Akina's mind went blank, and all her drafts went completely blank.

What was once a practiced greeting turned into a proper bow, her voice barely audible: "Hello, I'm Akina Nakamori."

Akina Nakamori isn't someone who prioritizes looks, so Zhao Wen's appearance was merely a bonus for her.

She had read all of Mr. Snail's novels, two or three times. She loved the world and the atmosphere in the books, especially the spirit world in "Spirited Away," which completely captivated her.

She had seen Mr. Snail's blurry image in newspapers and on television news, but she never imagined that having him sitting in front of her in person would make her so nervous that she would even hold her breath so lightly.

Previously, Momoe Yamaguchi was her only idol, the light she tried her best to catch up with. But now, looking at the person at the table, she suddenly felt that the unattainable songstress seemed to have quietly taken a step back.

Zhao Wen went to Tokyo twice, but Nakamori Akina missed him both times. At this moment, she realized that Mr. Snail was so young and handsome, like someone who had stepped out of his own story.

"Akina, this is director Hayao Miyazaki, and this is Mr. Snail, who served as the producer of this film." Toshio Suzuki broke the silence.

"Hello, Mr. Miyazaki, hello, Mr. Snail..." Akina Nakamori bowed slightly, her voice soft.

Zhao Wen withdrew his gaze and gestured to the chair: "Please sit down, Akina. May I call you that? Don't be nervous. Today is just a simple sound check. You should have received the sheet music for 'Itsumo Nando Demo' before, right?"

"Hi! Sure! I've already practiced." Akina nodded and sat down, placing the lyric book on her lap and gently pressing it with her fingertips.

"Let's try singing 'Forever Together' first." Even though this was the woman he had won over in his previous life, the woman he had once pursued in the book he had once devoured, Zhao Wen still calmly pushed the sheet music in front of her and said in a gentle voice.

Akina Nakamori reached out to take it, her fingertips accidentally brushing against Zhao Wen's fingertips. She quickly lowered her head to hide her fluster and whispered, "Okay."

She took a deep breath, and the moment the song began, all the panic from before miraculously subsided.

The girl's voice is a low-mid range, with a rich yet clear texture, and a gentle yet slightly melancholic tone that unfolds gradually with the melody.

Without any flashy vocal techniques or deliberate sweetness, she sang quietly, yet conveyed the gentle tenderness and tranquility that had been tempered by storms in "Forever Together" to the hearts of several older men.

Miyazaki leaned forward slightly, as if he could already see Chihiro sitting on the train on her way back, her eyes shining with the light of growth.

"Very good." Miyazaki Hayao spoke first, but only two words.

Zhao Wen turned to Suzuki Toshio: "It's her. Just like I said the other day, her mid-to-low range can support the weight of 'Inochi no Namae' and also sing the gentleness of 'Eternal Together,' which matches Chihiro's growth trajectory."

Suzuki Toshio paused for a moment, then nodded: "Okay, I'll talk to Ken-On about the contract later."

Toshio Suzuki is that kind of person. If he wanted to, he could make any collaborator indispensable to him. Otherwise, he wouldn't have become one of Miyazaki Hayao's iron triangle in the future.

Akina Nakamori sat in the chair, still a little dazed.

She thought she would have to try at least two or three more times, and was even prepared to be criticized for making mistakes, but she didn't expect it to be decided so easily.

She wanted to thank Mr. Snail, but after a long pause, she could only manage, "Thank you, Mr. Snail..."

Zhao Wen's lips curved into a barely perceptible smile, but he quickly regained his professional demeanor.

During the lunch break, Toshio Suzuki stood up and said, "Everyone, please take a break. I've ordered bento boxes from a nearby Japanese restaurant."

"Could you please add a few more servings of spicy pickled vegetables, and put some chili peppers on all the rice? Uh, and tamagoyaki too," Zhao Wen casually added. As long as everyone eats spicy food today, you won't think I'm taking care of you.

Suzuki Toshio wondered, "Mr. Snail, I don't like spicy food, so do I not need to add all of it?"

Akina Nakamori suddenly looked up, her eyes filled with surprise.

She loves spicy food, especially spicy tamagoyaki... She couldn't help but wonder: Mr. Snail, have you investigated yourself?

Zhao Wen couldn't very well say, "I watched countless variety shows and interviews in my past life, and you look so soft and cuddly, but you actually have a strong preference for spicy food, and you even secretly eat super spicy snacks..."

But gentlemen, don't get me wrong, the great Mr. Snail isn't a sycophant. He just wanted to help this girl before she fell into Kondo's hands and suffered.

And how can you get her out of this situation without having a good impression of her?

"Mr. Snail, could you tell me more about the sequel to 'Howl's Moving Castle'?" Miyazaki Hayao relentlessly asked Zhao Wen about the few ideas they had casually discussed over the past few days, seizing every spare moment to ask.