Chapter 31: Professional Domination
In early June, the official journal of the State Veterinary Association, Veterinary Practice, released a special issue.
The cover wasn't the usual stock photo of a vet in a lab coat or a microscopic image. It was a manga panelwith a high-resolution scan of Hachiken performing auscultation on a cow.
The headline was bold and impossible to miss: "Analysis of Veterinary Operation Standards in the Manga 'Silver Spoon'."
When the special issue hit the industry, it caused an uproar.
In the foreword, Association President Dr. Evans wrote: "The veterinary operations depicted in this manga are accurate in detail and standardized in procedure, far exceeding many so-called professional textbooks. It is recommended reading for all veterinary practitioners and students in the state."
The journal dedicated eight full pages to analyzing veterinary scenes from Silver Spoon panel by panel: injection angles, disinfection steps, instrument layout, symptom identification... Every detail was paired with a photo of the real-world procedure for comparison. The conclusion: "The manga visuals align with standard operating procedures by 92%."
That afternoon, the online forums detonated.
"92% accuracy???"
"Official certification from the Veterinary Association! Who else can do this!"
"Where are the people who said the manga wasn't professional? Come out and get slapped!"
"This isn't a manga anymore; it's a textbook wearing a manga skin!"
Even more brutal was the commentary article at the end of the journal, titled: "The Value of Professional Manga in Science Communication And a Critique of Shoddy Work."
The article didn't name names, but everyone knew who it was targeting—Manga Weekly's "Rural Teacher" series, which had just been roasted by readers for "serious factual errors regarding veterinary procedures." One reader had posted a thread comparing the manga's depiction of an intravenous injection (drawn as an intramuscular shot) with the real procedure, effectively killing the series' credibility.
The author of "Rural Teacher" had tried to defend himself on social media, claiming "art requires exaggeration." He was immediately swarmed by veterinary students: "You call drawing an IV injection as an IM shot 'artistic exaggeration'? That kills the animal!"
The situation was incredibly awkward for the competition.
Alex heard about all this from Sue.
"The Veterinary Association sent copies of the special issue to the editorial department. The Editor-in-Chief is laughing his head off," Sue said on the phone. "Word in the industry is that Silver Spoon is now the designated extracurricular reading for vet majors."
"That's exaggerating," Alex said.
"Not at all," Sue paused. "State Ag University has decided that for next semester's 'Veterinary Basics' course, relevant chapters of Silver Spoon are required reading."
Alex was drawing Chapter 35. His pen paused. "Required reading?"
"Yes. Not recommended. Required," Sue confirmed. "Ag University contacted me. They want to license your panels to print internal teaching materials."
"That's fine."
"Also, the Department of Agriculture noticed you," Sue lowered her voice. "A Deputy Secretary mentioned Silver Spoon in an internal meeting, saying 'this form of edutainment is worth promoting.' They might invite you to participate in some science popularization projects."
Alex put down his pen. "What exactly do I have to do?"
"Not sure yet, but it's definitely a good thing," Sue said. "You're not just a manga artist anymore. You're a 'Pioneer of Agricultural Science Communication,' a 'Representative Figure of Professional Manga.' Your status is different."
Status.
Alex looked at the drawing on his desk—Hachiken suturing a wound on a cow. He was just drawing what he remembered from his past life, combined with his experience on the ranch in this life. Line by line.
But now, these lines had become textbooks, benchmarks, synonyms for "professional."
"By the way," Sue added, "the latest issue of Manga Critique published an apology article."
"Apology?"
"Written by that author 'Grim Critic' himself," Sue laughed. "Title: 'I Was Wrong: The Professionalism of Silver Spoon is Impeccable.' Three thousand words, praising everything from storyboards to details to professional accuracy."
Alex imagined the scene and smiled.
"Now nobody in the industry dares to say Silver Spoon isn't professional," Sue said. "Endorsed by the Vet Association, listed as a textbook by Ag University, praised by the Dept of Agriculture—with these three halos, who dares to question it?"
Indeed, no one dared.
The doubting voices on the forums vanished overnight. They were replaced by analysis threads, fact-checking threads, and technical breakdowns.
A vet student started a column: "Detailed Explanation of Vet Knowledge in Silver Spoon," analyzing the professional operations in each chapter, accompanied by real photos and textbook screenshots. Traffic exploded.
The wind had completely changed.
Before, it was "a decent farming manga." Now, it was a "professional benchmark," an "industry model."
In mid-June, Chapter 35 was released.
In this chapter, Hachiken encountered his first true life-and-death choice—an old cow with a terminal illness. It couldn't be cured; it had to be euthanized.
Hachiken's hands shook as he injected the agent, watching the old cow close her eyes.
The panels were quiet. No melodrama. Just Hachiken's trembling hands, and the cow's gradually ceasing breath.
The forum exploded again.
But not with arguments. With resonance.
"My grandpa is a vet. He said he cried reading this chapter."
"This is what a real vet is like. Not every life can be saved."
"The part where Hachiken's hands shake is so real... when I euthanized a pet for the first time, I shook worse than him."
"This is respect for life. Not forcing survival, not prolonging suffering."
Even more definitive, the State Animal Welfare Association reposted screenshots of this chapter with the caption: "Respect life, treat animals well. Silver Spoon demonstrates the professional ethics a veterinarian should have."
Official stamp. Settled.
Those who wanted to nitpick about it being "too cruel" or "too negative" shut up completely.
At the same time, sales of Silver Spoon Volume 3 broke 500,000 copies.
What did that number mean?
In the same period, Legend of the Sword God Volume 45 sold 420,000. Magic Academy Volume 38 sold 370,000.
A farming manga had beaten the veteran battle shonen and campus manga.
The industry shook.
Manga Weekly held an emergency meeting. Editor-in-Chief Zhou's face was ashen. "We poured resources into 'Rural Teacher'. And now? Axed! Look at Silver Spoon! 500,000 copies!"
Silence filled the room.
"It's not the agricultural theme that's the problem; it's that we did it wrong!" Zhou slammed the table. "They draw reality; we draw imagination! They have the Vet Association endorsement; what do we have? A pile of bugs!"
"So... do we still follow?" someone whispered.
"Follow my ass!" Zhou raged. "Following now is just embarrassing ourselves! Everyone, go back and think of new topics! Be real, be professional, be able to stand up to scrutiny!"
After the meeting, editors whispered among themselves:
"Real? Professional? How many of us know agriculture?"
"The Dairy King grew up on a ranch. Us? We sit in offices all our lives."
"We lost fair and square."
Alex knew nothing of this.
He was drawing Chapter 36. Hachiken's first month at the rural veterinary station ended. The station chief wrote his evaluation: "Technique qualified, temperament needs polishing."
Hachiken didn't understand. "Where did I do wrong?"
The chief said: "You're too rushed. In this line of work, you can't rush."
Hachiken thought about it and understood. He always wanted to be faster, treat more cases, learn more. But the chief told him: every case must be taken slowly, every life must be treated seriously.
At the end of this chapter, Hachiken stood at the door of the station, looking at the countryside under the setting sun.
In the dialogue box, only three words: "Take it slow."
Simple words, but heavy.
Alex finished the last panel and saved the file. Outside, it was dark. The ranch lights turned on one by one.
Phone buzzed. Sue sent a message: "Chapter 35 reader survey, 98% satisfaction. Record broken."
He replied: "Cool."
Sue texted again: "The Editor-in-Chief asks, interested in starting a new series? Strike while the iron is hot."
Alex looked at the message, thinking of the folder named "Hunter x Hunter" on his computer. He had written 30,000 words of setting and drawn a dozen pages of draft storyboards.
But he replied: "Silver Spoon isn't finished."
Sue replied instantly: "Understood. No rush."
No rush.
Alex turned off his phone and opened the Hunter x Hunter folder. Inside were sketches of Gon, Killua, Kurapika, Leorio. The Hunter Exam arc, the Nen system.
Looking at these, a fire burned in his heart.
But he knew it wasn't time.
Silver Spoon still had a long way to go. Hachiken's story was only halfway through. After the vet station, there were more challenges, more growth.
He had to finish this story first. Tell it to the extreme.
Make Silver Spoon the benchmark of this world, an insurmountable mountain.
Then, unleash Fullmetal Alchemist.
Let everyone see he didn't just draw warmth and reality.
He could draw hot blood, darkness, the complexity of humanity, the cruelty of the world.
That would be the true—
Dimensional strike.
He closed the folder and opened the blank canvas for Silver Spoon Chapter 37.
In the new chapter, Hachiken would learn acupuncture—acupuncture for cows.
He had researched extensively, watched videos, even asked his father. Now, line by line, he would draw this ancient veterinary technique.
(To be Continued)