“It’s me, Murphy from Tokyo Broadcasting TEB. Sorry to bother you so late, Mr. Chandler, but I hope you can get ready as soon as possible.”

“Did the project get approved?”

On the other end of the line, Ian Murphy sounded very excited. Regardless of the ratings, she had already made a big step forward in her career—becoming a producer at the age of twenty-five or six, and a rare female producer at that. It was said the programming committee had hesitated, worried she couldn’t handle such a heavy responsibility. After all, the job of a producer was extremely stressful, 99% of them were men, and it didn’t seem very reliable. Plus, she had requested to bring in a freelance screenwriter, which was even more outrageous. But her proposal left a good impression, and she could back up her ideas with solid reasoning. The freelance screenwriter’s script was also quite interesting. On top of that, the requested time slot was a late-night one that didn’t matter much, and the budget was very low, so it was only barely approved in the end.

It was basically a small-scale investment—if it made money, great; if it lost money, it wouldn’t hurt.

This left Ian Murphy feeling a bit anxious for a while, but now that anxiety had turned into excitement. She said, a little emotionally, “It’s definitely approved. Tomorrow I can apply for funding, equipment, venues, and staff…” She paused for a moment. “Can you come to headquarters at 8:30 tomorrow morning, Mr. Chandler? Let’s finalize the contract first.”

I could go right now, but I can’t say that!

Ryan Chandler laughed and said, “Alright, I’ll be there at 8:30 sharp tomorrow morning.”

“That’s wonderful.” Ian Murphy breathed a sigh of relief. After all, she wasn’t very familiar with Ryan Chandler, and she was staking half her career on this. If Ryan Chandler bailed or tried to renegotiate, she’d be in a tough spot. She felt that, judging by Ryan Chandler’s demeanor, he didn’t seem like that kind of person, but she couldn’t be too careful. It was best to get the contract settled as soon as possible.

Now that Ryan Chandler wasn’t planning to cause any trouble, she immediately turned her attention to another issue. “Are you still working on the script, Mr. Chandler?”

“Well…” Ryan Chandler hadn’t written anything at all, so he replied vaguely, “Yes, I’m still working on it. I’ve found a lot of new inspiration and I’m gradually putting it down on paper.”

“Is it going smoothly?”

“Very smoothly!” Even though his previous audio-visual materials were all in pieces and he had to work hard to recall and piece them together, he still felt confident that there wouldn’t be any problems.

“Then see you at 8:30 tomorrow morning. Don’t forget to bring your seal!” Ian Murphy reminded him again. Japan is a strange country—seals have more legal effect than handwritten signatures.

“Got it!”

Ryan Chandler hung up the phone and clenched his fist in excitement—the result was great. He could finally have some income, and at least he didn’t have to worry about not being able to pay next year’s rent and getting kicked out to live in the park after this month.

The first step to integrating into this world had gone very smoothly—something to celebrate!

He wore a cheerful expression, and the apartment manager, who was reading the newspaper nearby, glanced at him curiously. In the manager’s impression, this Mr. Chandler always looked gloomy and stayed shut in his room, but now he seemed much more upbeat and energetic.

The manager put down his newspaper and probed, “Is there some good news, Mr. Chandler?”

Ryan Chandler was about to head back, but smiled when he heard this and said, “I found a job.”

“That really is good news.” The manager was quite happy too. After all, during the Great Depression, unemployment was what you heard about most, and finding a job was rare. “Where is it? Does it come with insurance? Are the benefits good?”

“At Tokyo Broadcasting TEB. The benefits should be alright, I think?” He didn’t really care much about social insurance and benefits. The main thing was that now he could start cashing in on the advantages of having crossed over, so his misfortune hadn’t been for nothing.

“Then good luck, work hard!” The manager, in his fifties, was a senior employee with a strong Showa-era vibe.

Ryan Chandler responded, smiled, nodded, and left.

Of course I have to work hard. I’ve paid a price too painful to speak of—if I don’t make a fortune, I’ll never regain my peace of mind!

Chapter 9: The Daughter of the Sea

The next day, Ryan Chandler got up early, washed his face and brushed his teeth, tidied himself up, and put on his only suit. Full of energy, he headed out, but as soon as he stepped outside, a chilly breeze made him shiver.

It had been raining for the past couple of days, and Tokyo had gotten much colder—it finally felt like winter.

He tightened his tie for some psychological warmth, thinking that once he had some money, he’d buy a trench coat. Then he headed for the station.

It was just after seven in the morning. Although it was still early for the appointment, morning traffic in a city like Tokyo was terrible, so it was better to leave early. After all, being punctual is a form of trustworthiness, and trust is something built up over time through small things—it shouldn’t be taken lightly.

He turned off the small road where his apartment was located and stepped onto the only commercial street in this old neighborhood, walking on the slightly slippery bluestone pavement toward the station.

Not far ahead were three girls in dark blue sailor uniforms, probably on their way to school. They were chattering away, occasionally playfully shoving each other, full of carefree joy.