Chapter 172 - 170: Be Careful Not to Pull a Groin

Chapter 172: Chapter 170: Be Careful Not to Pull a Groin

The afternoon passed. The two of them had worked out all the details of the Cat and Mouse merchandise copyright contract and the specific procedure for signing with Lin Gaoyuan.

I have to say, the coffee shop was a great place. Not only was it quiet and peaceful, but you could get an entire afternoon of free air conditioning for the price of a single latte.

"Aunt Li, I expect my father-in-law will be in touch with you tonight. Even though we’re practically giving it away, we still have to put on an act," Jiang Xia said.

"I know that. I guarantee he won’t notice anything’s off." Li Weiya smiled and nodded. "So, shall we wrap it up for today?"

She stretched her arms languidly, her graceful curves becoming apparent. She’d been sitting all afternoon, and it had made her neck sore.

"If Aunt Li wants to treat me to dinner as well, I wouldn’t say no," Jiang Xia said with a grin.

"Wasn’t the coffee enough for you?"

She shot him a look. "Forget about dinner. I have to go home and cook for Ah Ming. Right now, his mind is almost entirely on Cat and Mouse. He’s staying up late every night. After this busy period passes, you’d better let him take a break to get some proper rest."

A hint of complaint crept into Li Weiya’s voice. Her heart ached for her son; not only had he been dumped recently, but now he was working even harder than she was every single day.

Jiang Xia felt a wave of embarrassment. He had, in fact, been working Wang Ming a little too hard. It was mainly due to being short-staffed and on a tight schedule. As a result, Wang Ming was either working overtime or on his way to work overtime every day. Even he, the boss, had to make every second count.

"Aunt Li, while it’s tiring for him right now, these trials are essential for Ah Ming’s growth. I plan on handing the entire Cat and Mouse project over to him in the future. Because of that, he has to mature quickly," he said in a very serious tone.

He and Old Wang shared a bond that felt like it spanned two lifetimes. He genuinely regarded him as a close brother in life and his right-hand man in business.

Li Weiya froze. ’Cat and Mouse has the potential to be a cash cow, and it’s the foundation of Qitian Animation Company. Isn’t it a bit irresponsible to hand it over to a newcomer in the field?’

"Ah Xia, I know you two are close like brothers, but... you really can’t do this."

Li Weiya shook her head. "I’ve been in this industry for so many years. I’ve seen too many incompetent directors ruin a great project. Ah Ming isn’t capable enough for that role yet. Don’t let him ruin Cat and Mouse."

Jiang Xia smiled. He was well aware of Wang Ming’s talent. This was a real talent who, back in college, had independently created an outstanding animated short and won the award for Best Animation. Give him a little time, and he would surely be able to handle things on his own.

After all, Cat and Mouse was an episodic series, so its basic nature wasn’t complex. At its core, it was just a series of interesting little conflicts.

"That’s why he needs to study hard. Cat and Mouse is the foundation I’m using to build my initial capital. I won’t have the spare time or energy to keep pouring into a children’s show in the future. But I don’t feel comfortable handing it over to anyone else, so I have no choice but to let him take the reins. Besides, won’t you be there to mentor him?"

Upon hearing this, Li Weiya’s feelings grew complicated. She understood Jiang Xia’s personality; he wasn’t just drawing a pretty picture. He was genuinely confiding in her. It was rare to see someone be so open and generous, even with their closest companions.

In that instant, her decision to resign became firm.

"I’ll teach him well. You can rest assured," Li Weiya said.

Jiang Xia let out a soft chuckle. He saw the affirmation in Li Weiya’s eyes. ’Looks like she might be able to resign a few days earlier now.’

The two left the coffee shop. The sun was gradually setting, and the occasional breeze carried a faint chill.

The car started up slowly. Jiang Xia rolled down the window, rested his elbow on the ledge, and closed his eyes, savoring the gentle breeze.

’Things were getting resolved, one by one. Now he’d even persuaded Li Weiya to join him. She was like a stabilizing pillar, giving him an infinite sense of security.’

’After all, she’d been in the industry for over a decade. Not only was she incredibly experienced, but she had resources and connections. She was truly an indispensable leader for the team.’

"Ah Xia, I’d like to hear your development plan for the company as a whole, if you’re able to share it," Li Weiya said, glancing at him as she drove.

He nodded. Li Weiya wasn’t an outsider, and the general outline of his plan was hardly a trade secret.

"For now, the focus is definitely on stability. We’ll build our strategy around Cat and Mouse, focusing on television, online distribution, and merchandise sales. The goal is to create the most popular animated IP for children. After the studio has grown and become more established, we’ll consider producing new projects."

"Such as?"

Li Weiya’s interest was suddenly piqued. A new project’s production cycle was by no means short. Sometimes, just the project approval phase could take one or two months of endless discussion. Yet he could speak of it so nonchalantly. It was obvious he already had new ideas.

"Maybe something action-packed, or maybe sports-related. I can’t say for sure just yet," Jiang Xia said after thinking for a moment.

"Not for children?"

Li Weiya was a little surprised. In her opinion, since Qitian Animation Company had started with children’s animation and had already built a viewership, their next project should logically be in the same vein. Wouldn’t switching lanes at this point be a waste of all the popularity Cat and Mouse had accumulated?

"Not for now."

He shook his head gently. "Cat and Mouse as a concept can be developed for a very, very long time. We could even keep it going indefinitely. If my second animation is also for children, Qitian Animation Company will be pigeonholed as a studio that *only* makes kids’ cartoons, which would be very bad for the company’s future growth."

In fact, he had plenty of classic children’s shows stored in his memory: SpongeBob, Crayon Shin-Chan, even Woody Woodpecker and Bugs Bunny. Any one of them, if produced, could earn him a great fortune. But his ambitions were much, much bigger.

"If anyone else were to tell me this, I’d definitely think they were all talk and no action, with ambitions far beyond their skills."

There was a hint of resignation in Li Weiya’s voice. Perhaps because Jiang Xia had produced Cat and Mouse at only eighteen, she felt an almost blind faith in him.

"Aunt Li, you’re well aware that the audience for children’s content makes up only a small portion of the overall viewer base. My dream," Jiang Xia said with a smile, "is for people of every age group to be able to find an animated show they love at my company."

Li Weiya was stunned. That was an incredibly bold statement. ’Could anyone really pull that off?’

She took a few deep breaths, completely ignoring this "freshly baked pie" he was offering. ’This kid almost had me convinced.’

"Those things are way, way too far off for you and me. Today, your Aunt Li is going to teach you another lesson. You need to be pragmatic, take things one step at a time, and focus on the present. Got it? Take too big a stride, and you’ll pull your groin."

As soon as she said it, her face flushed. That analogy, she realized, might have been a bit inappropriate.