Ayumi talked a lot and pulled out the contract for Ren to read.
Ren casually flipped through it, not caring too much. He just wanted to make money drawing manga to support himself and "go home" later.
Besides, he was originally a self-taught 'monk'. In his previous life, he wasn't a mangaka, but an enthusiast of live-action manga.
So Ren was unaware of how much better this deal was than what new mangaka received in his previous life.
The main reason was that the place where he was publishing was Manga World, the industry leader in this world, equivalent to Weekly Shonen Jump in his previous life, so the treatment was, of course, much better.
"...Master, what do you think?" Ayumi finally asked.
"Okay, just sign here... here... here, all right?" Ren said with a clap.
"Yes... you also need to put your fingerprint and a copy of your ID... but I can make a copy for you later," Ayumi said, very prepared.
"No problem," Ren replied indifferently.
Then, they quickly completed the signing.
Ren didn't even ask any questions, which inevitably made Ayumi feel a little uneasy.
"Master Amamiya... do you have any questions?" Ayumi asked, biting her lip.
"No, I just wanted to ask, when will the salary be paid?" Ren asked, rubbing his hands, embarrassed.
"The industry stipulates that each time a manuscript is received, the master is paid according to the confirmed manuscript. If the master's manuscript is confirmed to be fine, you will be paid according to the prior agreement before the magazine's printing," Ayumi said seriously. "And it's practically confirmed that the first three chapters of your work will start serializing next month, so we should pay you a sum before the 10th of next month."
"I see." Ren suddenly realized.
'But I can only get my salary next month, and today is only the 12th of this month. It's a bit difficult.' Ren pouted.
Seeing this, Ayumi said nervously, "I'm sorry, Sensei, those are company rules."
"It's okay, I understand! Long live understanding!" Ren waved his hand and said with a magnanimous look. "By the way, Ayumi-san, did you come to Tokyo alone?"
He asked curiously, "Why did you come to Tokyo? Aren't you treated well in Japan?"
Ayumi was stunned for a moment, and she didn't expect Ren to suddenly change the subject to her.
"No, I also worked part-time in my hometown. I submitted my resume to the manga industry with the intention of trying my luck. I didn't expect to be accepted, so I came here," Ayumi said awkwardly.
"I see, where is Ayumi-san's hometown? It can't be Tokyo, right?" Ren asked curiously.
'Tokyo, that's an accident-prone area in anime... My mind was full of scattered thoughts.'
"No... My hometown is in Kyushu." Ayumi asked curiously, "Has Mr. Amamiya been to Japan?"
She felt that Ren knew her hometown, Japan, very well.
"I want to go, but it's a pity. After all, it's the cradle of ACG culture, isn't it?" Ren said with some regret.
In his previous life, he had planned to travel to Tokyo upon reaching adulthood. If possible, he would probably go to Akihabara in Tokyo and then return.
But during that period, something major happened in the world, and he wasn't allowed to travel abroad.
Ayumi suddenly realized that thanks to that, Ren knew something about Japan.
Although this world's timeline has changed, Japan is the birthplace of modern ACG culture.
However, later, with the development of ACG cultural companies in Japan, with a more developed economy, a more standardized industrial chain, and greater industrialization, their ACG culture has completely surpassed Japan, its birthplace.
High economy determines the economic base and superstructure, and this is the same everywhere.
"If Sensei really wants to go, when I have holidays, I can take you on a trip!" Ayumi said with interest.
People get very excited when talking about their hometowns.
Hearing this, Ren immediately smiled: "Good! It's not bad to travel to Japan before returning to my city!"
"By the way, where is Sensei's address and private phone number? So I can contact you or pick up the manuscript at home." Ayumi suddenly remembered this and immediately said.
She only had the landline number she used to contact Ren last time, and it seemed it wasn't his home phone, but his neighbor's.
"This..." The address was nothing, but the phone number was a problem for Ren. He didn't have a private number.
"I don't have a private phone; you should call the landline to get me. As for the address..." Ren took a napkin from the restaurant, picked up the pen he had just used to sign, and wrote it down in detail. "Here, go there to find me when the time comes."
After Ren finished writing, he placed it in Ayumi's palm.
'But he thought Ayumi should rarely go to his house to pick him up.'
After all, the manuscript he had submitted so far consisted of six chapters. A bi-monthly magazine publishes one chapter every two weeks, which means a full three months' worth of manuscripts.
When Ren submits the manuscript later, he plans to send it directly to the publishing house.
This will also save the editor from having to come back to his door.
Ayumi simply looked at the address on the napkin, carefully folded it, and solemnly put it into her blazer pocket.
'It seems it's getting late.'
Ren pretended to look at the nonexistent watch on his hand and said, "You need to eat too, so I'll take my leave first."
Ayumi was stunned for a moment: "Master Amamiya, are you leaving so soon?"
Ren chuckled several times: "I got a free meal and signed a contract. What else can I do if I don't leave?"
"Come on! Miss Ayumi, enjoy your lunch."
Then, he waved his hand and left the restaurant.
Seeing this, Ayumi sighed.
"Master Amamiya... is a strange one."