Chapter 305 - Pride and Arrogance (1/2)

“I really didn’t expect Oda-san to chat with Meng-san for more than an hour!”

After Hiroji Wada came out, he seemed very surprised. Just now Meng Fan and Oda-san had been talking, and he felt too shy to join them. However, he could see that Meng Fan took out some sketches for Oda. Naturally, by this he concluded that Meng Fan was a manga artist. Also seeing Oda’s recommendation letter, he asked: “Meng-san, is your visit to Shueisha related to manga submission?”

Meng Fan nodded and asked with a smile:

“Wada-san, could you recommend me to a good editor?”

“If you didn’t have Oda-san’s recommendation letter, of course I would be happy to help you. But with Oda-san’s recommendation, mine has no use,” Hiroji Wada laughed. “Although I also know some people in charge of Shueisha, it is really not as good as Oda-san’s recommendation letter.”

Half in Chinese, half in Japanese — Meng Fan barely understood the sentence.

Oda’s pirates made the old Shueisha come back to life and shine again. Naturally, the impact of his recommendation letter should be obvious.

However, Meng Fan got to understand the requirements and process of serialization in Shueisha beforehand. He also knew that having a recommendation letter did not mean that his manga can surely be serialized in a magazine published by Shueisha. The recommendation letter only increased his chances to bargain or to meet face-to-face with an editor. The later outcome depended on whether the terms were acceptable to both sides.

It also did not mean that if he can get serialized by Shueisha, Meng Fan would agree to any conditions.

As for his work, Meng Fan felt quite confident about its quality. Otherwise, he wouldn’t get this recommendation letter from Oda!

Shueisha was located in Chiyoda, Tokyo, facing another manga publishing company, Shogakukan. Originally, Shueisha was separated from Shogakukan.

After a long period of competition and cooperation, nowadays the three Japanese manga publishers — Shueisha, Shogakukan, and Hakusensha, which had been separated from Shueisha — form the “Hitotsubashi Group,” a rival of the “Otawa Group” led by Kodansha.

— Shueisha Inc.!

After getting off the car and seeing the words hanging on the office building, Meng Fan couldn’t help but break into a smile.

Formerly, he didn’t understand what this “Inc.” meant. He’s always thought that this company was superb and wondered, what the hell is it?

These three letters could be very frequently seen on food, drinks and products made in Japan, as well as on various mangas, animes, TV series, movies, and the like.

People couldn’t help but think of Japan as a lawful society. Those three letters looked like a mark of a gang, as if these companies were controlled by some mafia boss.

Later, he learned that “Inc.” is equivalent to China’s “shared company”!

The so-called Shueisha Inc., which meant Shueisha Shared Company, simply put forward the words meaning “shared company”!

“Meng-san.”

After getting off the car, Hiroji Wada said to Meng Fan: “One of the staff members will take you in. I still have some matters I need to take care of. I’ll have the driver wait here for you, and if you’re free tonight, Meng-san, I would like to treat you to dinner.”

Meng Fan answered equally politely to Hiroji Wada’s courtesy.

“There’s no need for anyone to wait for me. After I finish here, I can go back by myself; it’s alright. As for the dinner, I’ve already made plans. If we meet again in Huaxia, I will gladly eat with you, Wada-san.”

Hiroji Wada was really polite. He naturally agreed with a smile to everything that Meng Fan said. However, he still insisted that the driver should wait to pick up Meng Fan.

A staff member of Shueisha came out, and Hiroji Wada left after telling her a few words.

“Please come in.”

The staff member led Meng Fan inside. Simultaneously walking and introducing new places in Shueisha, she showed him around the company, telling Meng Fan about areas he will get to visit. The core area was definitely closed off to visitors. The places he can enter were…

Barbara was spitting the words, speaking not Chinese or Japanese but English. As for the fact that Meng Fan didn’t understand it, he also didn’t seem to mind; his thoughts wandered uncontrolled. Anyway, when they came in, he was basically stunned.

“Wait a moment.”

Meng Fan took out the recommendation letter and his phone. The translation app read out loud the input: “This is a recommendation letter from Oda-san. He also made an appointment with Mr. Muto Kentaro for me.”

“Oda?”

The staff member curiously took Meng Fan’s recommendation and gave it a look but didn’t open it. Then she looked outside, gave Meng Fan one more attentive look, and said at last:

“Wait here for a moment, I’ll help you.”

She left Meng Fan in a resting area and quickly went towards the office of Shueisha’s senior editor, Muto Kentaro. Not long after, she came back just as hurriedly. The change in attitude was obvious, and the words were all honorifics. She very respectfully led Meng Fan to the office. As for the recommendation letter, she had already given it to Muto Kentaro.

Japanese society was characterized by a relatively clear hierarchy, and the authority of a senior editor was huge. Unlike first-review editors, they get submissions and applications all the time.

If Meng Fan submitted his work in accordance with usual procedures, who knew when it would get reviewed. If you wanted to see someone who made decisions, you would have to go through several layers.

“Please sit.”

The staff member led Meng Fan inside and left, very quietly closing the door behind her. At that moment, a skinny man sitting at the back of the office slightly nodded towards Meng Fan and asked him to sit down.

Meng Fan didn’t engage in small talk. He handed the drafts, outline, and some of his drawings to Muto Kentaro.

Muto Kentaro seemed like a man who didn’t like to speak. He looked at the received draft, and it took him no less than an hour to read it all. Even when he looked at the outline and the sketches, there was no expression on his face. But Meng Fan was able to catch astonishment and shock in his eyes, and then the slow return to calmness.

Even though Meng Fan had had some doubts, seeing these expressions calmed him down.

“Although there are some flaws, the problems aren’t big. In short, it is a very good comic,” Kentaro Muto finally spoke, using Japanese.