Chapter 229 - 227: Roping Someone In

Chapter 229: Chapter 227: Roping Someone In

Jiang Xia first took his wife back to her dorm, then made a trip to the student supermarket to buy some snacks. It was late, but he figured he should at least bring something back for his roommates.

When he opened the door, Zhao Ning and Zhou Zijian were already lying in their beds. Su Qing was shirtless, pumping iron with a dumbbell.

Jiang Xia saw his biceps bulging. You couldn’t really tell during the day when he was wearing a T-shirt, but who would’ve thought he was actually a muscular guy underneath?

Looks slim with clothes on, ripped without them. That about summed it up.

He said hello and tossed a bag of snacks to each of his roommates.

"Brother Jiang, back from your date?" Zhou Zijian peeked his head out.

"Something like that."

"I thought you weren’t planning on coming back tonight," Su Qing said, glancing up at him before continuing his workout.

Jiang Xia chuckled. ’I would’ve loved to get a room with my wife, but Lin Yanwan wasn’t up for it.’

"You work out every night?"

"Yep. Been doing it for years."

Su Qing finished his last set of dumbbell flys. Drenched in sweat, he quickly grabbed a change of clothes and went to wash up.

"Oh, right. Old Zhao," Jiang Xia said, looking at Zhao Ning. "You guys are computer majors. Does that mean you’ll be doing website development in the future?"

"Our major is Software Engineering, but building websites shouldn’t be a big problem," Zhao Ning said.

Jiang Xia’s eyes lit up. "Then you two better study hard. The future of this world belongs to programmers like you."

He wasn’t wrong. The information age was evolving at a breakneck pace. In the next decade, countless major IoT companies would emerge in the country, and even artificial intelligence capable of replacing some human labor would be introduced. If the two of them could seize this opportunity, skyrocketing to success wouldn’t be just a dream.

"Brother Jiang, I think so too," Zhou Zijian chuckled.

Jiang Xia said seriously, "It’s not a matter of ’thinking so,’ it’s a certainty. So, keep up the good work!"

In his business blueprint, a video site like B Station was indispensable. It was the only way to maximize the value of his own animations.

After a quick snack, Jiang Xia took out the storyboards he hadn’t finished grinding through that afternoon and continued to work.

When Su Qing came out of the shower, he saw him sitting there again, sketching and writing. His level of diligence was even greater than his own when he was cramming for the art school entrance exams.

But the thing was, classes had just started today. The advisor hadn’t assigned any art-related homework. ’What’s he working so hard for?’

Wiping his hair with a towel, he stood beside Jiang Xia and watched him draw the storyboards. Jiang Xia didn’t seem to be trying to hide it from him. One drew intently, the other watched intently. Time slipped by quietly until 11:30 PM, when the dorm power was cut on schedule.

Jiang Xia stretched, then turned to see Nanny Su looking like he was hesitating to ask something. He slid open the glass door and walked out onto the balcony.

"You’ve probably drawn over thirty storyboard panels today, right? The story is relatively complete, and your drawing technique is masterful. Don’t you dare tell me you’re just ’doodling for practice’ again."

Su Qing followed him onto the balcony and called his bluff directly. "The content of these storyboards doesn’t correspond to any of the animation currently airing on TV. So, what’s your relationship with the creators of *Cat and Mouse*?"

"Couldn’t it be that I’m just having fun drawing in the style of *Cat and Mouse* for my own amusement?"

"Do I look like an idiot to you?" Su Qing shot him a contemptuous look.

"Alright, I’ll confess."

Jiang Xia sighed. "To be honest, I’m a member of the official production team for *Cat and Mouse*. The storyboards I’m drawing right now are for the upcoming third season."

Even though he had braced himself for it, hearing Jiang Xia admit it with his own mouth still left Su Qing utterly shocked.

He was no stranger to the animation production process. Generally, most artists start as key animators. The ones qualified to become master storyboarders were usually the elite of the industry.

But to attach that identity to a freshman who had just started university... it just seemed bizarre no matter how you looked at it.

"I’m not pretending anymore. I’m laying my cards on the table. I draw *Cat and Mouse*," Jiang Xia said seriously.

"...You’ve got to be kidding me." Su Qing suddenly blurted out, a hint of a Yu Du accent in his voice.

Proving it was simple. Jiang Xia’s locker was filled with storyboard manuscripts and keyframes for *Cat and Mouse*. That kind of stuff couldn’t be faked; you’d know with one look.

And so, Su Qing fell silent.

’So this guy is the real hidden boss among the freshmen.’ Everyone else was still thinking about how to make a name for themselves in university, but he was already a success. The animation he produced was a nationwide hit, loved by countless people.

"I shouldn’t have let my curiosity get the better of me and asked," he couldn’t help but say with a wry smile.

Today was only the first day of orientation. If you went back in time, it was obvious that he was just a high school student when he was making *Cat and Mouse*.

You had to admit, the pressure of being classmates with a monster like that was immense.

Jiang Xia smiled faintly. "Nanny Su, even if you hadn’t asked, you would have found out sooner or later."

"What do you mean?"

"Our studio is extremely short-staffed right now. So, I was hoping you could come help me."

Su Qing understood now. The whole point of revealing his secret was to give him a more compelling reason to join.

"Are you inviting me?"

"Yes," Jiang Xia grinned. "You’re not going to refuse, are you?"

Su Qing didn’t answer, asking instead, "But I don’t get it. Why me?"

"Because you’re Nanny Su!"

Su Qing was speechless. That was a pretty flimsy reason.

"Actually, it was what you said during your self-introduction today. You want to become an animation producer, and you want to contribute to society. I happen to be the same way. So, I think we’ll definitely get along."

"That may be true, but don’t you think your way of inviting me is a little too casual? Are you that sure I can help you? What if I don’t know anything? Wouldn’t that mean you picked the wrong person?" Su Qing said.

Jiang Xia shrugged. "Nanny Su, please don’t doubt my judgment. With your skills, you’ll only need a few days to get the hang of it and be able to work on *Cat and Mouse*."

Su Qing was noncommittal about this.

But no matter how you sliced it, *Cat and Mouse* was an incredibly successful production. Wasn’t it a bit reckless to let a newcomer like him participate?

Although he truly loved the show and was incredibly flattered by the invitation.

"Old Jiang, I want to ask one more time. Are you really the creator of *Cat and Mouse*?"

Jiang Xia looked him in the eyes and suddenly smiled. "Strictly speaking, I just draw storyboards. I work for an auntie of mine. She’s been in the art industry for decades and is a major figure in animation. The entire *Cat and Mouse* studio is currently working under her guidance."

Hearing Jiang Xia say this, Su Qing finally felt a bit better. ’So there’s an expert guiding him.’ That made more sense.