Chapter 183: The Reputation of Kato's Hand is Well-Deserved

Xia Yu secretly laughed to himself, thinking that this way, Kato Ei would be more tightly bound to the company. A small amount of money in exchange for a cornerstone of the company was a very worthwhile deal for Xia Yu.

After signing the contract, Xia Yu finally breathed a sigh of relief.

First, he got Ma Tengdong, and now Kato Ei—two of the most crucial people had come on board, making it much easier to manage the rest of the talent.

Thinking about Kato Ei's nickname, Xia Yu was curious about how fast his hand speed actually was, so he asked him, "Mr. Kato, I've heard that your drawing speed is exceptionally fast. Could you show me?"

"Of course, no problem! But where should I draw? I'm sorry, I didn't bring my drawing board."

Kato Ei agreed readily but showed an apologetic expression when he mentioned his drawing tools.

"Then follow me! This way, you can also meet the trainees you'll be teaching in the future!"

With that, Xia Yu got up and led Kato Ei to a dedicated studio.

At this time, the studio was already filled with many employees, all of whom were responsible for manga creation and were practicing drawing.

Seeing Xia Yu enter, many were startled and quickly stood up, intending to greet him. Xia Yu smiled and waved, signaling them to continue with their work.

Although Xia Yu gave the order, many still secretly paid attention, especially to the middle-aged man beside the boss. After all, someone personally brought in by the boss must have something special.

Seeing so many people inside, Kato Ei showed a friendly smile and nodded at everyone.

Without saying much, Xia Yu led Kato Ei to a drawing easel at the front and smiled, saying, "Mr. Kato, is this okay? You can draw anything you like!"

"Alright, please wait a moment."

Kato Ei took a deep breath, sat on the stool, picked up a pen, and narrowed his eyes in thought.

After a while, he opened his eyes, focused on the drawing board, and his hand moved quickly, making swift, elegant strokes on the white paper.

"Sss... sss..."

Kato Ei's hand moved rapidly, producing a slight friction sound. The speed of his pen was so fast it seemed like it was leaving afterimages, which made Xia Yu's spirits lift.

So fast!

Xia Yu felt that Kato Ei's drawing speed was at least double his own!

Seeing it with his own eyes, Xia Yu believed there was no issue with Kato Ei's speed, so now he just needed to check the quality of the drawing. If the quality was poor, speed wouldn't matter.

However, judging by Kato Ei's posture and the outlines on the paper, Xia Yu could already see the quality wouldn't be bad.

Soon, a silhouette appeared on the paper, and Xia Yu's eyes focused, concentrating even more.

"As expected..."

As more features emerged on the paper, Xia Yu recognized the person being drawn—it was him.

And it was him as he was just moments ago, talking with Kato Ei in the office.

As the lines became more numerous, Xia Yu's face showed increasing interest.

Very soon, Kato Ei put down his pen, revealing a complete sketch. Xia Yu stepped closer to observe it in detail, his smile growing wider.

"Excellent, very lifelike, and many details were captured. Most importantly, your speed is incredibly fast. No wonder you're known as 'Kato's Hand'."

Xia Yu looked at Kato Ei, his face full of admiration. He now had a very direct understanding of Kato Ei's abilities, and he was completely reassured.

If Kato Ei could teach his skills to others, even if they only reached half of his speed, Xia Yu would be very satisfied.

He's truly a talented individual! He didn't disappoint!

Guanghui International's headhunting skills are indeed impressive!

"You're too kind!" Kato Ei was also very pleased. After all, with the high salary Xia Yu offered, he naturally wanted his abilities to be recognized.

Despite his happiness, Kato Ei still maintained a humble expression, bowing slightly as he spoke.

Meanwhile, many employees who had been secretly observing all this were now silent after witnessing the scene. Comparing Kato Ei's drawing to their own abilities left them speechless, and their attitudes toward him changed.

"Mr. Kato, these people here, as well as the employees we continue to hire, will all be your trainees. I hope you can teach them well," Xia Yu said to Kato Ei, pointing to the surrounding employees.

"I understand, and I will do my best to teach them," Kato Ei said solemnly.

"Good!" Xia Yu nodded in satisfaction.

"Clap, clap, clap!"

Xia Yu clapped his hands, drawing everyone's attention to him.

"Let me introduce you to Mr. Kato Ei, who comes from Kyoto Seika University in Japan. He will be responsible for teaching you professional manga drawing techniques and various skills. I hope you will learn diligently from him. Understood?"

Xia Yu looked around the room, speaking calmly.

As Xia Yu introduced him, Kato Ei nodded in acknowledgment.

"Understood!" everyone responded loudly in unison.

"Please take care of me from now on!"

Kato Ei bowed slightly.

"Clap, clap, clap!"

Xia Yu led the applause, and the studio echoed with the sound of clapping.

"Alright, those of you who are interested can come and take a look at Mr. Kato's drawing. Compare it with your own skills and see if you can learn something."

After saying this, Xia Yu left the studio with Kato Ei.

After they left, the studio became lively, with many people rushing to gather around the easel where Kato Ei had drawn, discussing it excitedly.

"So, this is our new teacher? Incredible! He finished a drawing in such a short time. If it were me, I'd be lucky to complete even a third of it!"

A nearly thirty-year-old man, ranked among the top three in drawing skills in the company, commented.

"Look at these details. If you consider them, finishing a third would be quite an achievement!"

Another person pointed to a few spots on the drawing with a pen cap, countering.

Hearing this, the first person looked closer and didn't argue, clearly agreeing.

"This drawing is top-notch. Sketching truly showcases one's drawing foundation, and Mr. Kato has mastered it to perfection. He draws with complete ease."

"I was watching closely just now. Mr. Kato completed the drawing in one continuous motion without any pauses, but it depicted a scene from earlier, which he had completely memorized. His memory, observation, and drawing abilities are far beyond mine."

"Moreover, I've heard some things about Mr. Kato. He's known for his incredibly fast drawing speed, earning him the nickname 'Kato's Hand'. The students he has taught are all very skilled, and many have joined famous manga publishers like Shueisha, Shogakukan, and Hakusensha in Japan."

A young man named Song Quanping, wearing black-framed glasses and sporting a 3:7 hairstyle, spoke with a glint of wisdom in his dark eyes.

Hearing Song Quanping's words, many people grew more serious, increasing their respect for Kato Ei.

After all, the person speaking was Song Quanping, who had been personally recruited from Japan by General Manager Ma Tengdong. His abilities were exceptional, and in just a few days, he had already won over a large number of people, who often sought his advice.

Since he gave Kato Ei such high praise, it certainly wasn't unfounded.

Now that the boss said Kato Ei would be their teacher, it meant they could also learn professional, systematic knowledge and skills, making many people feel excited.

"Akang, it looks like we made the right choice. The boss even hired a professional teacher to teach us how to draw manga. If I can reach even half of his level, I'll be satisfied!"

Standing on the outskirts, Ma Rongcheng, excited after listening to the conversations of the senior employees, said to his friend Li Mingkang.

"Yeah, Acheng, let's work hard together. We can definitely do it!"

Li Mingkang also showed an excited smile, grabbing Ma Rongcheng's shoulder in encouragement.

Their conversation reflected the thoughts of many others. After all, many people here were former apprentices who didn't fare well. As the saying goes, teaching your apprentice all you know could leave the master starving. Their previous masters always held something back when teaching them.

But now, the boss had specifically hired a university professor from Japan. They would all be treated equally.

Moreover, they knew that Japan's manga industry was far more advanced than that of Hong Kong, both in terms of system and drawing level. Although this made them feel ashamed, they didn't stubbornly deny it.

Just one point: Japan's manga industry already had a specialized talent training system with various schools to cultivate professionals, and the industry had entered an industrialized phase.

But Hong Kong? It was still stuck in the outdated apprenticeship system, where a master tightly controlled their apprentices. To learn the craft, one had to work for the master for several years without pay!

Now, they could learn more advanced techniques for free, so it was impossible not to be excited.

Even though the future was uncertain, just seeing this made most people feel that switching jobs was a wise decision!

After everyone in the studio started discussing, Xia Yu had already found Ma Tengdong with Kato Ei.

"Mr. Kato, this is Ma Tengdong, the general manager of the company. He previously worked at Shueisha and is highly capable."

"Tengdong, this

 is Kato Ei, the talent I recruited. He's from Kyoto Seika University and has considerable experience in manga education."

After seeing Ma Tengdong, Xia Yu introduced the two of them with a smile.

"I've heard of Mr. Kato for a long time. I didn't expect to meet you in person today. I look forward to working with you!"

Ma Tengdong extended his hand to Kato Ei.

"I've heard of you, Mr. Ma, and I admire your abilities. I'm honored to work with you!"

Kato Ei also smiled, shaking hands with Ma Tengdong.

After getting acquainted, Xia Yu handed Kato Ei over to Ma Tengdong.

Finally, the talents were in place, which meant everything was on the right track. 

All that's left now is to get started!