Diamond No Ace: The Strongest Hitter Has Arrived

Chapter 422: Tokyo TV

The Seido High School Baseball Club's exclusive training ground.

Manager Ota was accompanying a young man in a suit on a tour of the facilities.

"Reporter Nitta, your visit is a real honour for our Baseball Club."

Manager Ota was smiling so broadly his face seemed to split open.

Not far away, the school's Dean wore the same eager expression.

It wasn't that the Dean was so easily won over. The young man who had come held a particular kind of standing.

He was a reporter for Tokyo Television with deep connections inside the network. He had already risen to head a particular programme, and this time he had come specifically to Seido to discuss a collaboration.

Nitta carried an air of quiet distinction, but it wasn't off-putting. It seemed simply natural to him.

It was said that his family had noble lineage, owned countless businesses across the country, and that his position at Tokyo Television was less a career than a pastime.

"I'm just here to look around. I hope you'll take good care of me."

Nitta spoke modestly, though this was clearly the product of years of etiquette training rather than any genuine humility. His expression gave nothing away.

"Mr. Nitta, you're too kind. It's our honour that you came. May I ask how your station wishes to collaborate?"

That was the real question.

Without a shared interest at stake, why would the Manager of the Seido High School Baseball Club and the school's Dean be so eager to play host? Whatever kind of programme Tokyo Television intended to produce, the network itself commanded very high viewership ratings nationwide. An association with it would do a great deal for the school's profile and the players' visibility.

"Baseball is very popular in Tokyo right now. For the current Spring Tournament, our station's leadership has plans to record several special episodes. As a cornerstone school, Seido High School will feature prominently, and we hope for your full support."

Nitta didn't stand on ceremony. He stated his purpose directly.

The Spring Tournament was different from the Summer Tournament. It generally didn't attract the same level of attention. Even television coverage tended to be brief, a news update at most, rarely detailed, and almost never a dedicated broadcast.

Tokyo Television was, unusually, planning to do exactly that. Not a live broadcast, but full coverage of the games, available to audiences nationwide.

The number of viewers for any given match could run into the millions. For the popular games, that figure could reach tens of millions.

Seido High School welcomed this without hesitation.

"Wonderful. This is our honour. We will cooperate fully."

The Dean said, his voice pitched high with excitement, eyes narrowed into slits.

With this to report to the Board of Directors, both he and the principal would have something real to show. It was an achievement no less significant than a Koshien appearance.

Coach Kataoka was truly the school's lucky star.

The early years had been difficult. The team had failed to reach Koshien for several years and gone through a genuine slump. But that couldn't be laid entirely at Kataoka's feet. Everyone knew the situation had been unkind to Seido at the time. They had kept running into an Inashiro Industrial that was simply at its peak.

Things were different now. They hadn't yet gotten the better of Inashiro Industrial, but the tide had turned. They had made it to Koshien, and the opportunities kept coming.

If things continued this way, the Seido High School Baseball Team would become famous nationwide once more. Not just restoring past glory, but surpassing it.

The Dean could barely contain himself at the thought.

Manager Ota was also pleased, though his reasons were simpler. He didn't share the Dean's calculations. He simply felt this was a genuine opportunity for both the school and the players.

The team and its players were still not well known enough. Visibility would help recruit better prospects, which would lead to better results. And for the players themselves, whether they wanted to go professional or pursue a preferred university, fame opened doors.

Tokyo Television coming to them at this moment was exactly the kind of chance you couldn't plan for.

"What are those players doing?"

Even Nitta, who came from considerable wealth, couldn't help but admire the Baseball Club's training facilities when he saw them properly.

The equipment was top of the range. The grounds were immaculate. Compared to Jingu Stadium, Seido was missing only a grandstand. In every other respect, the two outdoor fields were its equal. And beyond the outdoor facilities, they had indoor ones as well.

"They're preparing for tomorrow's match against Ushimaru Agricultural High School. They've reviewed the opponent's characteristics and are now working through targeted strategies."

"Against Ushimaru Agricultural? Is Seido really that thorough?"

Nitta asked, genuinely puzzled.

Manager Ota smiled and rubbed the back of his head.

"It's our team's tradition. No matter the opponent, no matter how strong or weak they are, we give everything and play every game as though it were our last. That's Coach Kataoka's teaching, and it's something this team has always stood by."

Even Nitta, who didn't know baseball well, understood the gap between Seido and Ushimaru Agricultural. The two sides were simply not at the same level. And yet Seido had prepared thoroughly regardless: studying the opponent, designing strategies, running targeted practice.

Nitta found himself thinking of something his father used to say.

Luck doesn't fall from the sky, and even when it does, only those who are ready can catch it.

Looking at what he saw today at Seido, that sentence felt fitting.

"Who is that player at third base?"

One figure stood out. He was positioned at third base and had stopped every ball that came his way, cleanly, without a single error.

"Ah, him."

Manager Ota's expression shifted into something like pride. He was clearly more than happy to answer.

"That's Zhang Han, one of our second-year players. Did you watch last year's Koshien, Mr. Nitta? Zhang Han broke two records in that tournament."

Nitta's eyes lit up immediately.

Here was a very good entry point. Live broadcast coverage might not lend itself to deeper storytelling, but for a programme, Zhang Han's background, achievements, and story were worth building around. He was certain there would be an audience for it.

Particularly among younger viewers, who would likely be just as taken with his face as with anything else about him.

The features were perhaps a touch too sharp for an idol, Nitta thought. A little softer and this young man would have no trouble in that world either.

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