Jim Waitt's brilliant work had not fallen short of the demands set by his representatives.
-This is a fantastic opportunity, - Billy said.
-Well, young man, you need to be ready for the auditions starting on February 23rd. This information is confidential. I'll send you the script, don't hesitate to practice. I'm friends with the scriptwriter, and they owe me a few favors. This is going to be a major production, with a budget of at least 40 million dollars, so they'll choose the best. Make sure you prepare; this movie is going to be fantastic, - Jim Waitt said over the phone.
Under the guidance of Ronald Emmerich, they aimed to achieve a science fiction production, following the successes of Terminator. Most of the budget would be allocated to special effects to give the work integrity that couldn't be achieved by hiring big-name actors.
-I'll start right away, - Billy replied.
-Well, it's not possible for you to start just yet. I'll get the script; you can audition with peace of mind. Remember to adjust your schedule; production begins in February and ends in June, so you'd better get ready. Your companies will have to survive without you for quite some time, - Jim Waitt advised.
Billy could only nod in response.
Slam Dunk and Ghost Report/Yu Yu Hakusho have 151 installments so far, with an advance up to volume 156 for both series and drafts up to volume 162.
Samurai X and Shaman King, each have 47 volumes released, with an advance up to volume 51 and drafts up to volume 57.
Neon Genesis Evangelion has 67 volumes released, with an advance up to volume 69 and drafts up to volume 71. This might not be entirely good news.
With three monthly releases, it's impossible to meet the delivery schedule or have the necessary time to work. Stopping the series is disadvantageous; if it's not very popular, it'll lose many fans, but if it's highly popular, the company will lose corresponding revenue.
-Anne, can you arrange a meeting with Terry and Diana Schutz? I want to create a major comics production, and I'll need both of them to make everything go perfectly, - Billy said from his office door.
-Is there something I should know? - Anne asked.
-Yes, Jim Waitt has an audition for a movie, and production starts at the end of February. I want to get some installments done in advance and have them ready in the months when I won't have much time for drawing, - Billy explained.
-If he had given a heads-up earlier, everything would be much simpler, - Anne said, furious with Jim Waitt.
-I want a meeting for tomorrow, Anne. I'll be working in my office. Order lunch; I want something nutritious with less grease. Thank you, Anne. You can leave early, - Billy said.
-Ah, I'll call immediately. - Rachel! - Anne shouted from her desk. Billy lost track of time and set to work on the Evangelion advances. He would do enough to let Terry focus on editing and correcting some details, with Diana Schutz taking on more tasks, he could leave enough comics for the next three months. Perhaps he should extend the deadline by a week.
Chapter 70 started to reveal some technical complications, such as the hidden personalities of certain characters who had satisfactory and good appearance, as well as the hidden secret of Shinji's classmates, which eventually led to their misfortune through experimentation.
Billy had expanded the chapters a bit to provide better shots, showing metallic hallways, labs, and offices from better angles, resulting in each installment having an extra five to seven pages. He even created some points dedicated to characters or parallel stories, unpublished so far, but it was time to publish them. These stories could yield results in two weeks at most.
He dedicated himself to finishing them.
Anne entered with Rachel behind her, carrying an entire meal in a wooden tray for Billy, which she placed on one of the chairs. -- Just as you requested, chicken with vegetables. They added an extra salad and a double serving of soup. I hope you enjoy it, -- Anne said.
Rachel left a pitcher of juice and a similar one of water on her desk, along with three glasses and two packets of sugar. She then rushed out of the room. Anne ignored her and made some notes in her notebook, leaving a note attached to the wooden tray.
She left without saying a word, just as she had entered.
After a few hours and having finished correcting volume 72 of Evangelion, he had lunch with relish and set out to work on volumes 73 and 74. The lights came on at 8:00 PM. With the light dimmed, he continued his work until 11:00 PM when the door opened, and Raimon appeared.
-You should finish for today. I've had enough of playing Pokémon in the game room, and you're still working. You need to rest a bit; it's not healthy, my friend, - Raimon said.
Trying to discreetly peek at spoilers and previews of the Evangelion series.
-You're right; we'll leave it for now. With a bit more work in the coming weeks, we'll clear three series, and the next ones will be much simpler, - Billy said.
-The animation team? - Billy asked.
-They left at 10:00, - Raimon said, carefully reading the drafts of Evangelion with his heart in his hands, reacting to the revelations made by Billy in the upcoming releases.
-Stop reading. You can't leak what you've seen; it would hurt our earnings for months, - Billy said, pushing Raimon towards the exit.
-I swear I'll keep quiet. I can't stand the suspense. Tell me! - Raimon said desperately.
-I won't tell you. Privacy of information is necessary so that everyone can be surprised by the next volumes. Besides, don't worry. I'm thinking of doing a weekly release during the holiday season. If you can focus and work hard enough, you'll see the end of Evangelion and YuYu Hakusho, - Billy said.
-Wait, they're ending? - Raimon asked, incredulous.
-They will. That's why I'm dedicating myself to these appearances in particular. In their final stretches, there can't be any cuts or mistakes. But don't worry, we'll make a TV series for Evangelion, and I'll invest a lot of money. I'll wait a bit until our financial situation with the channel stabilizes. I'll invest a lot of money in each episode, so it will be a fantastic series, - Billy said.
-Can I leak this, right? - Raimon asked, squeezing his cheeks hard, catching his breath.
-You can, although Warner won't be pleased. I've created over 200 volumes, - Billy said.
Since he had created spin-offs that were specific to a TV series and told secondary stories that only arose from the anime, Billy had organized the story in detail, resulting in the delivery of special volumes marked with letters.
-To hell with them. They've been attacking us from all sides. Remember the money we made from short sales? Well, I did the math yesterday, and we lost a lot of money. Creating the film distribution company, along with the adjustments we had to make, and the expenses of creating the channel, all add up, and Warner has been waging a constant war against us, - Raimon said, with his arms crossed.
-Hahaha, - Billy laughed. - I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks that way. -
-Well, it's something everyone in the company knows, even some former employees talk about the unfair behavior, and they agree that the behind-the-scenes work is a bit dirty, - Raimon said.
-It's partially true, - Billy admitted.
-Sir, have a good night, - the security guard said as he opened the door for them.
-Likewise, Joe, - Billy replied.
Raimon gave him a firm handshake and a farewell. - See you tomorrow, Mr. Shooter. -
-Well, I think we'll part ways here, - Raimon said, his eyes quite tired. Lack of sleep was one of his habits, as he was naturally hyperactive.
-That's right, - Billy agreed, getting into his car and thinking about finishing chapters 73, 74, and 75 of the Evangelion comic the next day