Chapter 81: The Correct Use of "In Pairs
Chapter 81: Chapter 81: The Correct Use of "In Pairs
After dinner, Jiang Xia sat at his computer and received a reply from Yu Du TV Station.
The gist of it was that the station was very interested in the animation Cat and Mouse and wanted to schedule a face-to-face meeting with Jiang Xia.
He immediately screenshotted the message and sent it to the company group chat.
[Operations Director - Shen Ying]: !!! An invitation from the TV station? The boss is amazing! Cat and Mouse is amazing!
[Art & Animation - Wang Ming]: Holy shit! Holy shit! Did we really get through?
[Jiang Xia]: Strictly speaking, this is just the first step. We won’t know the final outcome until after we’ve talked with the station.
[Lin Yanwan]: Good luck!
[Jiang Xia]: This news is currently a company secret, so don’t spread it around. Especially you, Shen Ying. You have to keep a tight lid on this.
[Operations Director - Shen Ying]: Don’t worry, Boss. Even if I had a hundred times the nerve, I wouldn’t dare spread the news without your permission.
[Jiang Xia]: Does any department have anything to report tonight? If not, meeting adjourned.
[Operations Director - Shen Ying]: Nothing here.
[Art & Animation - Wang Ming]: Nothing here.
[Jiang Xia]: Babe, when will the voice acting for episode ten be ready?
[Lin Yanwan]: That’s not what you said this afternoon. And now you’re rushing me? Heh. Men.
Jiang Xia cringed. He could just picture her disdainful expression. ’This afternoon, when he wanted to get intimate, he said there was no rush. Now that he has a meeting in a couple of days, he’s going back on his word.’
It was a good thing they were in the company chat. If they were talking privately, she would’ve definitely chewed him out for his ’hit it and quit it’ attitude.
[Jiang Xia]: This just came up so suddenly! In a couple of days, I’ll come over and give my dearest babe a massage to make it up to you. [kiss.jpg]
[Operations Director - Shen Ying]: Ugh~ Flirting again. It’s giving me goosebumps. Why don’t you just kill me to help you two get in the mood?
[Art & Animation - Wang Ming]: Ugh~ Flirting again. It’s giving me goosebumps. Why don’t you just kill me to help you two get in the mood?
Operations Director - Shen Ying has been muted by you for 10 minutes.
Art & Animation - Wang Ming has been muted by you for 10 minutes.
[Lin Yanwan]: ...
Sitting at her computer, Lin Yanwan blushed slightly. But she was a total sucker for this side of Jiang Xia—the way he treasured her more than anyone and protected her better than anyone.
[Lin Yanwan]: Hmph. I’ll send it to you tomorrow.
[Jiang Xia]: Thanks, babe. Mwah~
Ten minutes later, Shen Ying was the first to be unmuted. She huffed and angrily typed in the chat.
[Operations Director - Shen Ying]: If I ever open my own company, the number one rule will be: no office romance!
Operations Director - Shen Ying has been muted by you for 10 hours.
[Art & Animation - Wang Ming]: ...
Art & Animation - Wang Ming has been muted by you for 10 hours.
Wang Ming immediately sent Jiang Xia a private message with a single "?".
[Wang Ming]: Old Jiang, I didn’t say anything!
[Qingfeng Fuyue]: It’s so sad for Shen Ying to be in timeout all by herself. I figured you should go in there and keep her company. Don’t you get the value of making a pair?
[Wang Ming]: ? Is that how you’re supposed to use that idiom?
[Qingfeng Fuyue]: Only by getting the same treatment can you truly empathize. This is how you build up goodwill, little by little. Get it now? Tsk, such a rookie who’s never even dated.
Wang Ming stared at Jiang Xia’s reply, stunned for a moment. ’He actually has a point,’ he thought.
◇
The next afternoon, Lin Yanwan sent Jiang Xia the sample cut of the tenth episode with her voice-over. He watched it several times, suggested multiple revisions, and finally received the complete, final version a little after 6 PM.
He immediately rushed over to Wang Ming’s house. He could have just asked Wang Ming to pass the message to his mom, but Jiang Xia was worried he might get the details wrong. After a moment’s thought, he decided it was best to go in person.
Wang Ming opened the door, visibly surprised to see him. "Old Jiang, what are you doing here?"
"Is Aunt Li home?" he asked.
"She just got home from work. She’s making dinner right now." Wang Ming let him in, having already guessed why he was there.
"Ah Ming, who is it?" Li Weiya’s voice called from the kitchen.
"Mom, it’s Jiang Xia. He needs to talk to you about something."
A few seconds later, the hum of the range hood stopped. Li Weiya emerged from the kitchen, wiping her hands, and smiled when she saw Jiang Xia.
"Ah Xia, you’re here? Come, take a seat. You must have come specifically to see me about tomorrow’s meeting with Yu Du TV Station, right? Ah Ming told me about it yesterday."
Wang Ming poured Jiang Xia a glass of water. Figuring the two of them were about to talk business, he went into the kitchen to help with dinner.
Li Weiya untied her apron and said with a smile, "First off, congratulations on getting an invitation from the TV station so quickly."
"Aunt Li, it’s still too early for that. Let’s not count our chickens before they hatch."
"Generally speaking, receiving an invitation means the station is already very interested in a partnership. As for the licensing fee, as long as there isn’t a huge gap between each side’s expectations, the deal will most likely go through."
She couldn’t help but sigh. "You have to understand, with some of our previous projects, we’d send them to the stations and... nothing. Like a stone dropped into the sea. We wouldn’t even get a confirmation of receipt."
Hearing an industry veteran say as much, Jiang Xia’s confidence grew even stronger. In his past life, he started making animations when the internet already reigned supreme, so he had never actually dealt with television stations.
"So you’re saying that as long as nothing unexpected happens, Cat and Mouse airing on a local TV station is practically a done deal?"
"Correct."
Li Weiya nodded with a smile. "I’ve been keeping up with news about Cat and Mouse lately. I have to say, that little smokescreen you put out there was quite effective. If I didn’t already know your plan, I probably would have fallen for it too."
Jiang Xia played dumb. "What smokescreen?"
"’Qitian Animation Company is in talks with several TV stations and online streaming platforms, and Cat and Mouse is expected to air soon.’" Li Weiya recited, a playful smile on her face. "Don’t try to tell me you’re not the one who put that out there."
Jiang Xia let out a sly laugh. "You’re truly something else, Aunt Li. Nothing gets past your sharp eyes."
"But you were right to be cautious. A rumor like that can’t be released under the company’s official banner. Otherwise, people with ulterior motives could exploit it, and it would damage the company’s reputation."
"I understand." Jiang Xia made a mental note of it.
He asked, "Aunt Li, what are your thoughts on tomorrow’s negotiations?"
"Cat and Mouse has a lot of hype right now, and broadcast television is facing fierce competition from the internet. As long as the station director isn’t a fool, they won’t pass up a potential animated blockbuster that can boost their ratings," Li Weiya said calmly.
"Are you saying I can aim high with the licensing fee?"
"Exactly. If the talks stall, you can always lower your price. Your production costs are low, so you’ll make a profit no matter what. As long as you can build a name for Cat and Mouse, other companies and businesses will be lining up to work with you."
Li Weiya looked at him and sighed internally. ’His methods are watertight. It’s true what they say—heroes are often young.’
"Ah Xia, I have very high hopes for you. This time, you might just make it big."