Misaki, who was seated nearby, instinctively wanted to advise Rei not to rush things so recklessly.
Although the two hundred million yen was not her money, and she herself came from a wealthy background, she understood better than most that making money was never easy.
Rei's new manga still faced the same risks as any other creator's work. There was a very real possibility that it could follow the familiar path of many famous manga artists: lukewarm reception after serialization. Or worse, Hikaru no Go might end up being the last truly popular manga Rei ever created.
Earning tens of millions of yen a year sounded dazzling.
But what most popular manga artists in Japan eventually realized was this: the few years at the peak of their popularity were often the only years in which they earned the majority of their lifetime income. Spending recklessly during that window was dangerous.
Even though Misaki herself had introduced Illumination to Rei, she still hoped he would proceed steadily, focus on refining Hunter × Hunter first.
After all, this was hard-earned money.
"It's fine," Rei said with a faint smile, sensing her concern.
"To me, time is the most valuable thing."
"Life only gives us a few decades of true golden years," he continued calmly.
He then turned his gaze toward Himari.
"Miss Himari, although our cooperation isn't finalized yet, I'll speak under the assumption that we will reach an agreement."
"You don't need to worry about funding for One-Punch Man," Rei said evenly.
"Even if two hundred million yen isn't enough, I can supplement it through other channels. You can even include Illumination's normal commercial profits into the production budget."
"Although I'm young," he added with a light smile, "I'm not a stingy investor."
"I only have one request."
Rei's tone became firm.
"Even if the schedule is tight, push the animation quality as high as you possibly can."
Himari looked at him, her eyes lighting up.
In truth, many animation production companies in Japan lacked strong financial backing.
Animation production was, in essence, a light-asset industry. The most valuable resource was always people. As long as a company had skilled staff and connections to secure outsourced work, it could survive.
But once a small studio accumulated enough experience, many would gamble on producing an original animation.
If successful, a hit anime could return several times, sometimes dozens of times, the original investment.
If it failed…
Considering that animation production costs could easily reach tens of millions of yen, many company founders went bankrupt almost overnight.
Himari was precisely this type of studio head.
She owned some property in Tokyo, but nothing extravagant. She couldn't casually invest hundreds of millions like Rei, nor did she have family wealth like Misaki. Misaki's mother had once been a top-tier manga artist for over a decade; the villa she lived in, located in a prime district of Tokyo, was worth well into nine figures.
When Rei spoke the way he did, Himari felt her confidence surge.
Online, anime fans constantly argued about which studio had "god-tier animation" and which one produced "garbage."
But those onlookers never considered how much money the investors actually provided.
"Anyone can make great animation with enough money," Himari thought, clenching her fist slightly.
"This is an opportunity for Illumination."
One-Punch Man was an original anime, but its creator, Shirogane, was already a household name. Once the anime aired, it was guaranteed to attract massive attention from manga fans.
As long as the broadcast slot was chosen wisely and the production quality met expectations…
Could it be?
Five words surfaced clearly in Himari's mind: A chance to make a name.
Under normal industry standards, Illumination's profit margin from Rei's investment would only be around 15% of the total budget.
That wasn't insignificant, but it wasn't what excited her.
What truly mattered was this: Investors like Rei, wealthy, decisive, and non-intrusive, were incredibly rare.
The funding was sufficient. She could even earn a little less.
But if One-Punch Man succeeded…
Illumination's reputation would skyrocket. Securing future investors would become easier. The studio's entire trajectory would change.
After Rei finished his discussion with Himari, he excused himself, leaving Misaki and Himari, two former university classmates, to catch up.
Once Rei left, Himari finally let out a long sigh.
"Misaki… it really had to be you," she said quietly.
"You had such good conditions back then. When you joined Hoshimori Group as a manga editor after graduation, working yourself to exhaustion, I thought you were crazy."
"I never imagined you'd become this successful as an editor, let alone discover a manga artist of Shirogane's caliber."
Misaki took a sip of her coffee and shook her head gently.
"He wasn't discovered by me," she said softly.
"He rose on his own talent."
"No matter which company he was at, or which editor he worked with," Misaki said calmly, "he would still be today's Shirogane in Japan's manga industry."
"So young, yet he invests hundreds of millions without hesitation… honestly, that scared me a little," Himari said, pausing as she reflected on Misaki's words.
"If you were certain you'd earn hundreds of millions next year, and double that the year after, would you really care about tens of millions?" Misaki replied.
"But his new manga hasn't even launched yet, has it?" Himari frowned slightly.
"What if it flops? Where would he get nine figures next year?"
"That possibility exists in reality," Misaki said helplessly, "but not in his mind."
"Before Hikaru no Go was serialized, he was still a little nervous. But now? He's completely relaxed about his new work."
"I can see his thinking clearly," she continued.
"Whether it's his upcoming manga or One-Punch Man, he is absolutely convinced they'll succeed, no, that they'll explode in popularity."
"His confidence doesn't even need to be stated. It's so overwhelming that everyone around him can feel it."
Himari fell silent for a long time after hearing this, then let out a soft sigh.
"A genius really does think differently," she admitted.
"At the very least, before I do anything, I always prepare myself for the worst possible outcome."
She stood up and adjusted her coat.
"Enough about that, I should be going too. Rei may visit my company soon, so I need to prepare."
"And if he truly decides to work with me…" Her eyes sharpened slightly.
"I'll start contacting industry connections immediately. Directors, key animators, art supervisors, music producers, I'll poach whoever I can."
"As long as the cooperation is confirmed," Himari said firmly, "I'll push myself, and everyone at Illumination, to give 120 percent."
Early May passed quietly.
By mid-May, Rei had returned to school after his leave of absence.
The entire campus was now steeped in tension.
Even in Rei's class, students who usually spent their breaks reading manga had begun studying seriously.
The capable were consolidating their knowledge.
The average were cramming desperately.
The struggling were searching for last-minute miracles.
At this stage, even students who normally scoffed at studying understood one thing clearly:
Every single point mattered.
Yet, in the entire class, there were two people who felt almost no pressure at all.
One was Rei.
The other was Miyu.
Rei's attention remained focused on manga.
As for Miyu, both of her submissions to Dream Comic had been rejected.
In her second serialization meeting, it was once again Rei's Hunter × Hunter that claimed the slot.
That outcome inevitably dealt her another blow, and her spirits were noticeably low.
Rei didn't know how to comfort her.
After all… he was the direct reason her second submission had failed.
All he could think was this: Even for a so-called genius like Miyu, someone already well-known among young manga artists in Japan, the pressure of this profession had begun to show.
Talent was only a ticket to entry.
Nothing more.
On May 11, after several rounds of discussions and multiple visits to Illumination, Rei officially signed a commission contract with the company.
On May 15, Hoshimori Group began formally building momentum for Hunter × Hunter, scheduled to begin serialization one month later.
A large number of Shirogane's fans across Japan immediately shifted their attention to the newly announced work.
The title alone sparked discussion.
"Hunter × Hunter."
Hunter?
Teacher Shirogane isn't seriously planning to open the story with the protagonist hunting wild boars, is he?
...
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