Chapter 167: The Assistants

Chapter 167: The Assistants

What a surprise!

When Lin Qingshan heard the name, his eyes lit up.

So even the legendary "Crocodile-sensei" is here...

If Wu Shiqing hadn't mentioned her pen name as Koyoharu Gotouge, he might never have known that a future big name was among them.

But now Crocodile-sensei has even changed her identity in this parallel world... That's quite something.

"Ahem..."

Lin Qingshan said, "Pen names... aren't that important. What's important is that you show me the drawing skills that are good enough to become my assistant!"

"You should be familiar with my art style, and as my assistants, you won't need to focus on drawing characters or developing storylines."

"Your main job will be drawing backgrounds, so..."

"Next, I want you to draw a sketch of Night City from *Cyberpunk 2077: Edgerunners*. You have thirty minutes to complete it. As long as it satisfies me, you pass."

Lin Qingshan spoke with a smile.

Even though he was impressed by the pen names Koyoharu Gotouge and Gege Akutami, he wasn't going to make his decisions based on that alone.

In this parallel world, anything could happen. What if these parallel versions of them were not as talented as their originals?

So, he needed to see their skills firsthand.

"Okay."

Wu Shiqing, Chen Chunqiang, and Akutami Yuuta were all prepared for this, knowing they'd have to showcase their abilities today.

They each took out sketch paper and pencils from their bags and began drawing with great focus.

Lin Qingshan waited patiently, sipping coffee with Ayumi Ito while giving the young artists space to work.

Finally, thirty minutes passed.

Lin Qingshan checked his phone. "Alright, time's up."

Wu Shiqing, Chen Chunqiang, and Akutami Yuuta put down their pencils, although they had already finished earlier.

They had been refining their sketches, adding more detail to make them as polished as possible.

Then, one by one, they placed their completed sketches in front of Lin Qingshan.

Lin Qingshan first looked at Chen Chunqiang's sketch.

Not bad... Even without color, the lines, composition, and shading were excellent.

Judging by his drawing skills, Chen Chunqiang was definitely capable.

As Lin Qingshan had guessed, Chen Chunqiang was likely a solid artist but struggled with storytelling.

Next, he examined Akutami Yuuta's sketch.

Also quite good. The style was well-rounded, and the work was on par with Chen Chunqiang's.

Finally, he turned to Wu Shiqing's sketch.

Hmm... It wasn't as strong as the previous two.

It seemed she wasn't very comfortable drawing cyberpunk cityscapes.

However, her drawing was still detailed and well-crafted overall.

But compared to Akutami Yuuta and Chen Chunqiang...

There was a noticeable gap.

After all, in the previous life, Crocodile-sensei wasn't known for modern urban settings...

"I'm sorry, Shiqing."

Lin Qingshan shook his head at Wu Shiqing. "Your drawing is good, but..."

He placed her sketch alongside Chen Chunqiang's, making the difference clear.

"I... I can work hard to improve."

[Translator: sauron]

Wu Shiqing, flustered, said quickly, "Please give me another chance..."

She really didn't want to miss this opportunity.

This was a rare and valuable chance.

Lin Qingshan found himself in a dilemma. Knowing that this was the parallel world's version of Crocodile-sensei, he felt a certain fondness for her talent.

But this would be unfair to Chen Chunqiang.

"Forget it..."

Lin Qingshan relaxed.

Was he overthinking things?

Since all three of them had shown decent drawing skills, why not hire all of them for fairness's sake?

He wasn't short on money, so hiring an extra assistant wouldn't be an issue.

In the industry, it's not unusual for a big-name manga artist to have three assistants.

"You all did well, and I'm very satisfied."

With that, Lin Qingshan smiled and said, "Congratulations, you're all hired."

Wu Shiqing was taken aback. She had thought she was doomed to be rejected.

But suddenly, Lin Qingshan changed his mind and decided to hire all of them?

It was so sudden...

She hadn't even said anything, yet Lin Qingshan had already made up his mind.

Although all three were hired together, it was still something to celebrate.

Wu Shiqing was so overjoyed that she almost cried. "Thank you, Sensei, for the opportunity!"

Chen Chunqiang and Akutami Yuuta were equally delighted. "Thank you, Sensei!"

They were now assistants to Lin Qingshan, a rising star in the manga world!

Learning under Lin Qingshan, they were sure to pick up valuable skills.

This is how many industry professionals got their start—working as assistants to famous manga artists, learning until they were ready to create their own works and submit them for publication.

"Being my assistant comes with a salary of 8,000 yuan a month. You'll also get meals at my place when we're working."

Lin Qingshan continued, "But I won't be providing housing. You can stay over occasionally, but not regularly—I'm assuming you have a place to stay."

Besides his manga career, Lin Qingshan also had some inheritance from his parents and additional income from manga rights and game royalties.

As for his business venture with C Station, it was still in the investment stage with no returns yet.

Despite this, he was doing well financially and wasn't one to skimp on decent wages.

He didn't put too much importance on money.

When they heard about the salary, Wu Shiqing, Chen Chunqiang, and Akutami Yuuta were ecstatic.

The pay was quite good for industry standards, especially with meals included.

"Thank you, Sensei!"

They responded gratefully.

With that settled, Ayumi Ito would handle the contracts, and once signed, Wu Shiqing, Chen Chunqiang, and Akutami Yuuta would officially start their roles as Lin Qingshan's assistants.

Even before the contracts were finalized, the three of them eagerly started work at Lin Qingshan's apartment, driven by their enthusiasm and determination.

(End of Chapter)