Chapter 199 - 197: Everything is Looking Up

Chapter 199: Chapter 197: Everything is Looking Up

Ji Wanqiu went to take a shower, and Lin Gaoyuan lay alone in bed, thinking about what had just happened. The more he thought about it, the more miserable he felt.

He turned the problem over and over in his mind, but it felt unsolvable.

A young couple in the throes of passion would kiss and cuddle. A moment of carelessness could easily lead to things getting physical. If they used a condom, that would be one thing, but if they didn’t... he’d just have to wait ten months to become a grandfather.

’Rely on Jiang Xia to control himself?’ he thought. ’Pigs would fly before that happened.’

In the end, he was completely out of ideas. He suddenly wished they would just get married sooner. He’d only feel better once their relationship was legalized.

A short while later, Ji Wanqiu returned from her shower wearing a silky white nightgown. She took a moment to dry her hair before turning off the lights and climbing into bed.

"Wanquiu," Lin Gaoyuan said suddenly, "I’ve been thinking. Maybe you’re right—it’s better to guide things than to try and stop them. But let’s not rush. We’ll take it slow. Just give me some time."

"Yes... we definitely need to think this through carefully," Ji Wanqiu said.

She privately admitted to a somewhat selfish thought: the more brilliantly Jiang Xia performed, the more pleased she was with her future son-in-law. She hoped Yanwan would hold on to him tightly and not let such a great catch get away.

"By the way, show these design drafts to President Li tomorrow," Lin Gaoyuan said. "If she approves, we can probably start production the day after. We’ll make a sample first, and once we confirm everything’s right, we can begin mass production."

"You’ve already hired people?" Ji Wanqiu asked, slightly surprised. ’That was fast.’

"Yes, a few of my old employees were willing to come back. Their pay will stay the same for now. Two production lines will be more than enough. If the market feedback is good, we’ll consider adding a third."

"Okay."

Lin Gaoyuan shifted closer, slowly wrapping his arms around his wife’s warm, soft body. Fresh from her shower, she smelled wonderful and her skin felt incredibly smooth.

"What do you think you’re doing?" Ji Wanqiu shivered slightly as she felt his roaming hand.

"It’s been a while since we’ve been intimate, hasn’t it? I want you." His hand slowly crept higher.

"It’s too late."

"That’s what makes it perfect. The girls are fast asleep. We could be a little loud and they wouldn’t hear a thing."

She closed her eyes, her lashes fluttering. Her tone was teasing. "You say that like you could last thirty minutes."

Ji Wanqiu slowly slipped off her silky nightgown, giving him an alluring smile.

"I’ll be on top tonight."

◇

The next few days passed without any major incidents. First, Ji Wanqiu connected with the producers of *Cat and Mouse*, and the design drafts received their unanimous approval.

That very afternoon, the toy factory produced the first sample: a Tom the Cat plush doll. It was given to Xiao Man as a gift, and the little girl absolutely loved it.

Then, the second broadcast run of *Cat and Mouse* successfully concluded. Viewership ratings on major television networks remained sky-high, proving that understanding what kids like was the key to viral success.

So, Jiang Xia decisively sold a third round of broadcasting rights. This time, his targets weren’t limited to provincial stations. He went after prefecture-level cities, districts, and counties. As long as they were interested and the price wasn’t completely unreasonable, he made the sale.

He also had Shen Ying contact the popular video-on-demand services. He signed a five-year contract in one go. The licensing fee jumped from five thousand to a hundred thousand. This broke down to twenty thousand a year for unlimited broadcasts. On the surface, it seemed like the on-demand service got a great deal, but in reality, Jiang Xia was the one who profited.

He knew perfectly well that these on-demand services would be phased out and shut down around 2010. This was the information advantage he possessed as someone who had been reborn. In other words, when there was legitimate money to be made this easily, only a fool would pass it up.

After settling these deals, the balance in Qitian Animation Company’s bank account easily surpassed two million.

When Lin Yanwan shared the good news with Jiang Xia, she was still in disbelief. But as she stared at the text message on her phone, at the number with five zeros trailing behind it, she had to accept it was all real.

This was all from a single 12-episode season of animation, made on a ridiculously low budget, that had generated enormous profits in a short time. But Jiang Xia was well aware that while they had made money, the profit potential for the first season was now almost completely tapped out.

In other words, aside from the profits from toy revenue sharing, he would have to produce a second and third season to maintain the show’s current popularity.

If he could maintain this release schedule for three to five years, the *Cat and Mouse* IP would be firmly established and could officially be considered a classic. Then, riding the coming wave of smartphones, he could sell the adaptation rights for a mobile game and make another fortune.

He could also start arranging for *Cat and Mouse* apparel and stationery. The new school year was just over a month away. If he negotiated well, he could cash in on the back-to-school rush.

’Just imagine it,’ he thought. ’Everyone wearing *Cat and Mouse* clothes, carrying *Cat and Mouse* backpacks, with book covers featuring Tom and Jerry. Even the erasers are shaped like Tom the Cat. How could you show your face to your friends if you didn’t have the whole set?’

’Oh, and I could get started on collectible cards and those little one-yuan figurines.’

’Some of the rare designs would have to be SSR-level—gold cards, gold-plated trinkets, that sort of thing. If you collected a full set, you could redeem a prize. The kids would buy them in droves. And just think of the satisfaction of showing them off to their friends.’

’But since they’re rare, the drop rate would have to be low. One-tenth of a percent doesn’t seem unreasonable, does it? After all, if the odds weren’t low, they wouldn’t be worthy of the word "rare."’

Of course, for now, Jiang Xia could only entrust these matters to Shen Ying. He just needed to handle the final approval.

After all, his main job was producing the animation. The merchandise would only make money if the show itself was a hit. He knew how to prioritize.

This frantic pace continued until early August. By then, seven episodes of *Cat and Mouse*’s second season were complete, and the voice-over for the eighth was in production. The full 12-episode season was on track to be finished by late August.

Meanwhile, thanks to heavy promotion from the official partners and major TV networks, his father-in-law’s toy factory was buried in an avalanche of orders. The two production lines were nowhere near enough. Even running at full capacity, new orders were already backlogged for two months.

Gaoyuan Toys had managed to recoup all the losses from the past half-year in just one month, and was already turning a profit.

After all, the national market was huge, and they held the exclusive license. This was with Lin Gaoyuan’s factory being too small to keep up with production. If it were any larger, the profits would multiply several times over.

During this period, his mother-in-law and father-in-law were so busy every day that they had no time to go home and cook. They simply told their two girls to eat at Jiang Xia’s place. This made Xia Shanshan ecstatic—forget just eating there, she would have been happy to sleep over.

There was a study, after all, which could easily be converted into a bedroom.

It was just a shame their future daughter-in-law was too shy and refused, no matter what they said.