Chapter 52: Visitor on the Ranch
The ranch was shrouded in thin mist in the early morning. When Alex came out of the barn, he saw a black sedan parked at the gate. Sue got out of the driver's seat, followed by a girl with short silver-white hair from the passenger side—the girl the industry knew as White Night.
"Sue." Alex nodded in greeting, his gaze landing on the girl.
"This is Samantha," Sue said helplessly, gesturing to the teenager. "You know her better as White Night, the author of The Thorn Bird. She said she had to see you today, so I brought her."
Samantha stepped forward and bowed ninety degrees. "Hello, Mr. Walker! My name is Samantha, but please, I am here as White Night, your loyal reader! I apologize for the intrusion, but I want to ask you to take me as an assistant!"
The yard was silent for a few seconds. The sound of Sarah chopping vegetables came from the kitchen; a cow mooed in the distance.
Alex looked at the girl bent at the waist and asked calmly, "The pillar of Manga Weekly, coming to be my assistant?"
Samantha straightened up, her face red but her eyes determined. "I want to draw better works! I read FMA Chapter 19, and I... I know I can never draw a work like that in my lifetime if I rely only on myself. So I want to learn by your side, even if it's just serving tea and water!"
She pulled a thick stack of manuscripts from her backpack—all the settings and storyboards for The Thorn Bird, but every page was covered with dense sticky notes of revisions.
"After reading Chapter 19, I redrew the first ten chapters, but I'm still not satisfied." Samantha's voice trembled. "Because I was just imitating your techniques, not learning the essence. I want to know how to draw that... power of reality."
Alex took the manuscript and flipped through it page by page. Slowly, carefully.
Sue added in a whisper, "She took three days off from Manga Weekly specifically to come here. And..." she paused, "she didn't terminate her contract. She said she wants to learn from you openly as a Manga Weekly author."
Alex flipped to the last page and looked up. "The sister you draw is very real. Do you have a sister, Samantha?"
Samantha paused, then nodded. "Yes, three years younger, poor health. That's why I draw The Thorn Bird..."
"Understood." Alex returned the manuscript and looked at Sue. "What does the editorial department say?"
"Chief says it's up to you. But..." Sue glanced at Samantha, "her identity is sensitive. If Manga Weekly knows their top author came to learn from you..."
"I'm not afraid." Samantha said suddenly. "I can work without pay, sign an NDA, use a fake name here. I just want to learn, really."
Alex was silent for a long time, then said, "Stay for now. There's an empty room in the west wing. But I have conditions—here, you might be Samantha to your friends, but in this studio, you are White Night. You are a manga artist first. I won't revise your drafts, won't teach you techniques. You can only watch and realize it yourself. If you accept, stay. If not, let Sue take you back after lunch."
Samantha's eyes lit up instantly. "I can! I accept!"
The lunch atmosphere was subtle.
Sarah made four dishes and a soup. Samantha ate carefully, stealing glances at Alex. John spoke little but put food in her bowl twice.
"Thank you, uncle." Samantha whispered.
After lunch, Alex took her to the west room. Simple, clean, tidy.
"Toilet is at the east end of the yard, gate locks at 9 PM." Alex instructed briefly. "Starting tomorrow, my work hours are 8 AM to 12 PM. You can watch from the side, but must keep quiet. Arrange other times yourself."
"Okay!" She nodded vigorously.
"And," Alex looked at her, "don't think about 'imitating me.' You need to find your own path, not mine. Understand, White Night?"
"Understood!"
Alex nodded and turned to leave. She suddenly called him: "Teacher!"
"?"
"Thank you for taking me in." Samantha bowed again. "I will work hard not to disturb you!"
Alex didn't say anything and left.
Samantha closed the door, leaned against it, and exhaled deeply. Then she opened her suitcase—besides clothes, it was full of art supplies and sketchbooks.
She opened a sketchbook and started drawing everything she saw today: the ranch mist, the barn door, Alex's calm profile, Sarah's back at the stove...
Drawing, she suddenly wondered, how to draw these ordinary scenes with warmth in a manga?
She didn't know. But she wanted to learn.
Next morning, Samantha woke at six. She walked out lightly and saw Alex already up, carrying milk pails to the barn.
"Teacher, let me help!" She ran over.
(To be Continued)
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