Great Mangaka

Great job this week!

Thanks to you all, we've collected 350 Power Stones, and our Patreon community is growing with both new free and paid members. I'm so grateful for your support!

This Week's Chapters

As a result of your efforts, from Monday to Sunday this week:

4 chapters will be published daily on Webnovel.

Paid Patreon subscribers will get a total of 8 daily chapters.

A New Goal for a Permanent Increase!

Now, I have some exciting news about a permanent change: if we reach 20 paid subscribers a month on Patreon, the base number of daily chapters will increase!

The base on Webnovel will go from 2 to 3 daily chapters.

The base on Patreon will go from 5 to 6 daily chapters.

This means that any extra chapters we unlock with our weekly goals will be added to this new base, boosting the daily total even more! Your support on Patreon is the key to making this possible.

Thanks again for everything. Happy reading!

- - - -

"Takumi-sama, the president invites you."

On Saturday morning, Takumi opened the door after hearing the doorbell and saw a man in a suit guarding the door.

"Oh, okay."

He was stunned, turned off the air conditioning at home, and went out.

Four works were released one after another, but Takumi's life did not change. Aika went to the hospital to visit Miyuki in the morning, and Takumi wanted to rest, but he hadn't expected Tsukimoto Genji to come see him. The man in the suit opened the elevator door early and let Takumi in. Then he entered like a bodyguard, stood in front, and pressed the floor button.

His gesture surprised Takumi a little.

"Are you a bodyguard?"

"Yes, Takumi-sama."

"Don't call me Takumi-sama, I don't like that title."

"Then what should I call you?"

"Call me Takumi."

"That won't do. There's a difference in status. Calling you by your name will affect your image."

The bodyguard smiled. 'This isn't a feudal society. There's no concept of master and servant, but titles are an important symbol of a person's identity. If bodyguards can call their employers by their first names, people will think that Hinotori Publishing's successor has no prestige.'

He did not accede to Takumi's request.

Outside the building, a Lincoln sedan waited by the roadside. Lincoln's brand value was several levels lower than Khanxue's. It was Tsukimoto Genji's special car.

The car Tsukimoto Genji was traveling in was even worse than Taro Tanaka's. Takumi regretted the preferential treatment Taro Tanaka had received in the past. The bodyguard opened the door early. After Takumi got into the car, he saw Tsukimoto Genji, dressed very casually.

"Why are you looking for me?"

Takumi asked bluntly.

"It's rare to have free time. I'll take you for a walk to Mount Fuji." Tsukimoto Genji smiled: "Don't get hurt if you stay home. I just want to take a walk."

"Mount Fuji?" Takumi had an impression. Mount Fuji is a scenic spot in Osaka. The altitude is not high. The maple leaves on the mountain are very beautiful. Entrance fees are very expensive: "Why are you in such a good mood? Don't you usually stay home with your wife?"

Tsukimoto Genji is a very interesting person. After getting along for a long time, Takumi found that he missed his home more than he missed children. According to Alice's explanation, Tsukimoto Genji used to be too busy with work and lacked family warmth, so after succeeding in his career, he spent all his free time with his wife.

"Ahem, ahem, I'm not confined to home."

Tsukimoto Genji's face flushed slightly, he quickly changed the subject, and ordered the driver to drive.

The Lincoln slowly headed towards Mount Fuji. Tsukimoto Genji recovered from his blush and smiled again: "Takumi, the rapid report results for Five Centimeters Per Second are amazing."

"How many sales?"

Takumi asked.

"90,000! Impressive!"

Tsukimoto Genji happily raised his thumbs and said with a chuckle: "The rapid report indicates almost 90,000 copies. The company plans to increase advertising, and final sales are expected to exceed 1,000,000 copies. If this figure is met, you will be the savior of Japanese manga!"

When Tsukimoto Genji received this rapid report last night, he didn't even sleep well. Luckily, he's not so excited now.

Sales of 1,000,000 manga, and sales of a single book—this figure can also be placed at the top of the pyramid in the novel world, and it is an unprecedented success in the manga world. Since the rise of manga until now, including adapted manga, no manga has sold more than this figure.

"1,000,000 copies, that's nothing."

Takumi was a little disappointed. Detective Conan's sales were 800,000 or 900,000, and Five Centimeters Per Second was barely higher than that figure, in his opinion.

But he didn't know that this figure actually had a big impact on the market.

In the Japanese cultural market, 1,000,000 sales mark a before and after. The launch of Detective Conan was a milestone. The industry rated it as the most saturated product in the manga market, and it was difficult to re-establish itself. The sales of the second volume proved it.

Due to the limitations of various factors, such as audience, channels, and advertising promotion, it is difficult for a single manga to continue growing after 800,000 sales. If Five Centimeters Per Second exceeds 1,000,000, the potential value of the manga market will skyrocket, and the industry will experience astonishing changes.

Capitalists will become interested in this market, and the country will also value it, and both capital and business opportunities will increase. For Hinotori Publishing, the most direct benefit is that more places and commercial channels will offer olive branches, thus expanding their distribution channels.

"It's nothing."

Tsukimoto Genji listened to Takumi's words, shook his head, and smiled bitterly: "Your words are truly astonishing."

'If other mangaka or other manga companies heard this, he didn't know how many people would get so angry that they would end up in the hospital. Selling 1,000,000 copies is a goal everyone longs for but cannot achieve, but Takumi takes it for granted.'

But that's fine. Tsukimoto Genji is so happy that he won't explain or pressure Takumi.

And there are many variables in the future; he cannot be sure that Five Centimeters Per Second will exceed 1,000,000 copies. If it does, the entire manga industry will benefit. The expansion of business opportunities and channels will make publishers and mangaka earn more money, and magazine sales will increase in the future.

But this is also a challenge for Hinotori Publishing. The open market is changing, and it's easy to deceive others.

Tsukimoto Genji wanted to remind Takumi not to be proud, but at that moment, the Lincoln suddenly stopped.

"Are you there?"

Takumi asked, surprised. Only a few minutes had passed since they left.

"Not yet; someone has arrived. I want you to meet someone."

Tsukimoto Genji turned his head, and at that moment, the car door opened, and a middle-aged man with a stooped waist appeared.

"Good morning, President." He greeted Tsukimoto Genji with a nod, looked at Takumi, and introduced himself: "Nice to meet you, Mirai-sensei. I'm Kenji Sato, Hinotori Publishing's Chief Financial Officer. I'll be reviewing the funds for your animation production department."

Takumi was a little stunned.

"Sato-san, accompany us to Mount Fuji."

Tsukimoto Genji smiled and told Takumi: "I promised to create an animation department, but you have to do it yourself."

The condition for establishing the animation department is that Takumi invests 25%. The three manga and the novel published this time must generate over 8,000,000 yen in royalties. With Aika's 2,000,000 yen in shares, Takumi has met the bet's conditions.

Of course, this refers to the initial bet, which has little to do with subsequent ones.

Takumi reacted with surprise and joy. 'It turned out that Tsukimoto Genji called him to talk about this matter.'

"Director Sato, please give me more advice in the future."

"I will cooperate as much as possible."

Kenji Sato nodded gently. As a finance supervisor, he knew that the boy in front of him was not only a gold mine, Mirai-sensei, but also Hinotori Publishing's future helmsman, so, naturally, he would cooperate seriously.

The interaction between the two relieved Tsukimoto Genji. Kenji Sato was his right-hand man, and he could lower his head and cooperate with Takumi, which was very beneficial for Hinotori's future. Furthermore, Takumi's attitude was also very good. He wasn't like Taro Tanaka, and he would undoubtedly satisfy Kenji Sato.