Chapter 134 - 133: Lady Boss, Can You Tone It Down a Bit?

Chapter 134: Chapter 133: Lady Boss, Can You Tone It Down a Bit?

Sure enough, within half an hour of the *Cat and Mouse* premiere ending, rave reviews flooded every corner of the internet like a tidal wave.

Of course, it was possible Yu Du TV Station had given it a push from behind the scenes, but most of it came from organic fans who had fallen in love with the high-quality animation. They were a grassroots army, eagerly recommending it to everyone in QQ groups, Tieba forums, and discussion boards.

Even people who initially weren’t interested in *Cat and Mouse* started searching for information about it online. For a moment, the popularity of Tom and Jerry was unprecedented.

After it had some more time to ferment, it was certain that more and more people, both adults and children, would come to love *Cat and Mouse*.

It all came back to that same question: Who could possibly say no to an episode of *Cat and Mouse*?

"Shen Ying, we might be getting a lot of companies approaching us for talks soon. You need to be on top of things. You can discuss anything with me, big or small."

Jiang Xia pressed his lips together, then continued, "Oh, and you also need to hurry up and register all the related patents, trademarks, and intellectual property rights. In the future, if anyone infringes on our rights, we’ll sue them one by one!"

"Got it, Boss," Shen Ying nodded in agreement.

"After all, from now on, our company’s most valuable asset won’t be the broadcast fees from the TV station. It’ll be the copyrights related to *Cat and Mouse*. The TV station is just a stepping stone," Jiang Xia said with a smile.

"Does that mean our company will be able to just sit back and rake in the cash soon?"

Wang Ming swallowed, fantasizing about the astonishing fees they could collect from toy manufacturers every year. ’Tom and Jerry are so cute,’ he thought. ’Kids will love them, so the adults will have to buy them, right?’

"That’s right. But a work’s popularity is tied to its longevity. If we want to get rich just by sitting around, we have to keep releasing new *Cat and Mouse* episodes and work hard to tell a great little story every time. At the very least, it has to become a childhood classic for a generation. And that is my goal!" Jiang Xia said earnestly.

In his past life, *Cat and Mouse* was a masterpiece. Now, his "crudely made" remake was finally starting to look a little like a classic. ’Once we have money,’ he thought, ’I’ll have to make this animation even more refined, so I don’t tarnish the name of a masterpiece.’

"That’s my goal too!"

Wang Ming lifted his chin proudly. ’If Jiang Xia is the father of *Cat and Mouse*,’ he thought to himself, ’then I should at least be considered its godfather, right?’

The thought that the animation he’d worked on with his own hands could be a part of a generation’s childhood was thrilling.

"Me too!"

"Count me in."

Lin Yanwan smiled and extended her hand. One by one, the four of them placed their hands on top of each other, then thrust them down in a single motion. A promise made at eighteen was sealed.

"Alright, that’s enough for today." Jiang Xia smoothly took his wife’s hand and said, "None of you have eaten dinner yet, right? Let’s go, let’s go, we’ll find a food stall and get some barbecue! Everything tonight is on the company!"

"Woohoo! Long live the boss!" Shen Ying shouted happily.

The four of them left the private room. Glancing casually at the computer screens, they were surprised to see many people searching for topics related to *Cat and Mouse*.

The group exchanged smiles. No one could have guessed that the creative team behind this suddenly explosive hit was using the internet in the same place as them.

Wang Ming suddenly chuckled. "This feeling of flexing on everyone on the down-low is pretty awesome."

"Haha, it is pretty awesome. Remember this feeling, because it’s only going to get better!"

Jiang Xia laughed, walked over to the counter, and tapped it lightly with his finger. "Hey, old deskmate, we’re leaving."

"You still have a good chunk of time left. Logging off already?" Chen Yao looked up at them.

"Ah, we’re done. It’s no fun," Jiang Xia said, feeling extremely annoyed at the thought that he had missed the premiere.

Chen Yao nodded lightly, checking them out and logging them off one by one.

"*Cat and Mouse* was really good. Tom and Jerry are both very memorable. Boss Jiang, you’re going to be famous," she said suddenly.

"You saw the live broadcast?" Jiang Xia was taken aback.

Chen Yao countered, "You mean you didn’t?"

In response, all four of them shook their heads.

"The website crashed. We couldn’t get in. By the time it was back up, it was already over," Jiang Xia said with a look of resignation.

"Oh, I couldn’t get in either. I thought my internet was lagging. I ended up watching it on this TV." As she spoke, she pointed to a small television nearby.

"...Why didn’t you say so earlier?" He felt a headache coming on.

"I didn’t know you were trying to watch," Chen Yao said, glancing at him coolly. "Besides, I have a rule here: unauthorized personnel are prohibited."

"Chen Yao, I heard you applied to the law program at Peking University?" Shen Ying suddenly asked.

She nodded slightly. "Yes. Why?"

"I don’t really understand some things about copyright, patents, and intellectual property. I was wondering if I could consult you about them sometime?"

"Sure, as long as you pay the consultation fee," she said casually.

"Uh..." Shen Ying’s breath caught in her throat. She hadn’t expected such a response. She’d long heard that this woman was a bit cold and impersonal, and now she saw it was true.

Influenced by the legal horror stories of "Zhang San," Jiang Xia didn’t think there was anything wrong with her statement. ’You pay for a consultation. If you don’t, that’s when a lawyer gets excited—they might just pin some crime on you and get you locked up.’

"What if I asked you to be the legal advisor for Qitian Animation Company?" Lin Yanwan suddenly interjected. She knew just how capable Chen Yao was.

Every field requires a specialist. While Shen Ying could muddle through and learn the ropes of company operations as she went, they had to hire a professional for legal matters. Otherwise, the company would surely suffer huge losses as it developed.

For example, with *Cat and Mouse* being such a huge hit, many manufacturers might secretly produce and sell merchandise like toys and figurines without getting authorization from the company. Without guidance from a professional lawyer, taking them to court would become an extremely complicated matter.

Chen Yao gave her an extremely surprised look. It was a bit strange, hearing this come from Lin Yanwan. ’Doesn’t she have some kind of inexplicable hostility toward me? Why would she want to recruit me?’

’It’s pretty funny, though.’

’But, well, she’s a woman. It’s understandable.’

"I could, but..." Her gaze shifted to Jiang Xia. The boss hadn’t said a word yet. ’Isn’t she overstepping her bounds with a move like this?’

"On some matters, his word doesn’t count. Mine does," Lin Yanwan said coolly. ’Without my permission, let’s see if Jiang Xia dares to hire a personal female secretary. I’d break all three of his legs!’

"Oh, is that so? It seems Boss Jiang is quite the henpecked husband," Chen Yao teased.

Hearing this, the other two held their breath, not daring to make a sound.

Sensing the increasingly gunpowder-thick tension in the air, Jiang Xia nodded righteously. "In some areas, strictness is necessary."

Chen Yao gave a noncommittal smile. "Actually, I was just joking with Shen Ying earlier. I’m only a beginner, and I don’t even have a law license yet. Please don’t take the consultation fee seriously. As for being a legal advisor, I’m not qualified right now. I’d recommend finding a more professional lawyer to avoid unnecessary trouble."

"Thank you for your advice." After saying that, Lin Yanwan turned and left, taking Jiang Xia with her.

Chen Yao pursed her lips, then suddenly called out to her, "By the way, madam boss, I’m really not interested in your husband. Can you tone it down a bit?"

...

(Sorry, I haven’t written much these past two days. It’s all because married life is too blissful, I’m feeling a little... spent (* /ω＼*))