Chapter 406 - 401: An Unexpected Surprise

Chapter 406: Chapter 401: An Unexpected Surprise

After hanging up, Shen Ying didn’t feel any of the excitement that usually came after finishing exams.

She stared blankly at a photo of the two of them from their time in the Imperial Capital. Suddenly, she made up her mind to go to the Imperial Capital to be with him. She didn’t want to wait another half a year. As for her family, ’If they’re going to scold me, then let them.’

Shen Ying took a deep breath, pulled out her phone, and slowly dialed her family’s number.

"Mom, the animation company where I interned notified me that I’m being brought on full-time. There’s a big project over the New Year, so I probably can’t come back..."

◇

Qitian Animation Company.

Jiang Xia and Wang Ming were idly chatting and drinking tea. But Wang Ming looked a little down; he hadn’t seen his girlfriend in a long, long time.

"Old Wang, don’t worry. After the movie premieres, I’ll give you a nice, long vacation. You can spend as much time with Shen Ying as you want then," Jiang Xia said, patting his good friend’s shoulder.

Wang Ming nodded lightly. There were priorities. The entire company had been busy for over half a year, so he had to put his personal matters aside for now.

Shen Ying was right. They would have plenty of opportunities to see each other in the future. But the Cat and Mouse movie was Qitian Animation’s first time on the big screen, making it incredibly significant. As the lead artist, he couldn’t afford to drop the ball now.

"Old Jiang, do you think our movie will really be a blockbuster?" As the premiere date drew closer, Wang Ming was starting to feel a little nervous.

Once upon a time, he was just an ordinary art student. Now, he had become a pillar of the company. The animated feature film he helped create was about to be released. The days felt surreal, yet intensely real.

Jiang Xia smiled, full of confidence. "Don’t worry. The box office won’t be too bad."

Top-tier animation quality, top-tier voice acting, and a story that was even more fun and engaging. On top of that, it had the brand recognition of the massively popular Cat and Mouse IP. ’With a Chinese New Year lineup full of mediocre films, I don’t even know how we could lose.’

Putting everything else aside, there were so many die-hard Cat and Mouse fans all over the country. The box office revenue they would contribute was not to be underestimated.

Later, Li Weiya walked into Jiang Xia’s office with some good news. "Ah Xia, all the major cinema chains have promised at least a 30% screen time allocation for *Lucky Rabbit Year* on its opening day. If the response to the advanced screenings is good, they’ll increase it."

A 30% screen time allocation meant that for every 100 screenings a theater scheduled, 30 would be for *Cat and Mouse: Lucky Rabbit Year*. For the crowded Chinese New Year movie season, this was already quite high.

Of course, the cinema chains made this arrangement because they were banking on the explosive popularity of the animated Cat and Mouse series. Since it already had a massive fanbase in the country, the guaranteed box office revenue would not be low.

Moreover, Qitian Animation Company’s promotional campaign was everywhere. The film was suitable for all ages, making it accessible to a wide audience. In online polls for the most anticipated Chinese New Year film, the Cat and Mouse movie’s vote count was leaving everyone else in the dust.

With all these factors combined, a 30% screen time allocation was a conservative estimate. If word-of-mouth from the advanced screenings was explosive and attendance was extremely high, the screen time percentage on New Year’s Day could very well exceed 40%.

"Godmother, how are the preparations for the advanced screenings coming along?" Jiang Xia asked.

"In the main urban districts of every province and some of the more affluent cities, we’ll be holding simultaneous advanced screenings from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM on January 31st. They will run for three days, with two shows per day. The official ticket pre-sales will begin on January 30th."

Li Weiya continued, "As for ticket prices, there are three types: children’s tickets at 20 yuan, student tickets at 25 yuan, and adult tickets at 40 yuan. It seems the theaters are also offering family and couple packages, which are a bit cheaper."

"Excellent."

One of the advantages of the Cat and Mouse movie was that it brought in children and their parents together. It was estimated that once the film was officially released, children could account for up to one-third of the total attendance.

"We can also start our ticket giveaway. From now until the premiere, we’ll give away one hundred tickets a day. Anyone who participates in the *Lucky Rabbit Year* topic discussion on D Station or Weibo will have a chance to win a free movie ticket from us, while supplies last," Jiang Xia said.

"Alright, I’ll get on it right away." Li Weiya nodded and walked out of the office without hesitation.

All the promotional efforts they were making now were simply to ensure the highest possible box office numbers after the movie’s official release.

◇

「That evening.」

After secretly arriving at Imperial City Airport, Shen Ying didn’t alert anyone and immediately took a taxi to the company.

She looked up at the company’s floor and saw that many of the office lights were still on.

Dragging her suitcase, she took the elevator upstairs and happened to see Jiang Xia coming out of the restroom in the hallway.

Seeing each other, they both froze.

Jiang Xia’s mind went blank for a second. "Shen Ying, what are you doing here?"

’Logically, she just finished her final exams today, so she should still be at school. Besides, Old Wang said that no one was going home for the New Year, so Shen Ying wouldn’t be coming to the Imperial Capital either.’

’Unless... just like during the summer break, she impatiently hopped on a plane right after her exams. And came secretly, without telling anyone.’

’After all, she did it once during the summer break, so she’s familiar with the routine.’

"Hehehe, surprised, Boss? I’m back!" Shen Ying said happily.

Seeing her old friend again, she was ecstatic.

’More importantly, if Jiang Xia is here, then Wang Ming should be here too.’

"Well, well. You snuck here, didn’t you?"

Shen Ying blinked, a silent admission.

"Is... is he at the office?"

"He is." Jiang Xia smiled faintly. "You want to surprise him, right? Follow me in a bit. Once we’re inside, go hide in the conference room. I’ll call him over for you."

"Mhm! Thank you, Boss!" Shen Ying beamed, her eyes crinkling.

Jiang Xia shook his head helplessly. ’Girls in love... not a single rational one among them.’

’Yu Du and the Imperial Capital are so far apart, yet she doesn’t find the round trip to be a hassle at all.’

Shen Ying carefully followed behind Jiang Xia. After entering the company’s main door, she immediately ducked into the conference room.

Jiang Xia saw her squat down and hide under a table, then walked over to Wang Ming and cleared his throat softly.

"Old Wang, head to the conference room in a bit. I have something to talk to you about. Hmm... you go first. I’m just going to the restroom, and I’ll be right there."

Watching Jiang Xia walk out the company door, Wang Ming was momentarily baffled. ’With our relationship, can’t he just say whatever he needs to say? Why do we need to go to the conference room and be so formal about it?’

However, Wang Ming didn’t overthink it.

He walked into the conference room, looked around to see no one, and sat down in his usual spot. Just then, the lights in the conference room suddenly went out.

’What’s going on?’

’Is the light broken?’

Wang Ming frowned slightly. He fumbled his way to the door and pressed the switch again.

But just then, a familiar voice slowly sounded from behind him.

"Silly, did you miss me~~"