Chapter 232 - 330: Original Intention Unchanged

Chapter 232: Chapter 330: Original Intention Unchanged

(I’ve seen a lot of people saying they can’t read the recent Chapters. You can try refreshing the table of contents, and they should show up.)

...

Although he knew Tsinghua Science Park was large, it wasn’t until he actually set foot inside the park that he grasped what 25 hectares really meant.

It was roughly the size of the entire Academy of Fine Arts and the School of Economics and Management combined, including their surrounding green spaces. Jiang Xia’s target for this trip was the pair of hundred-meter-tall twin office towers right in front of them, their designs exuding a modern, high-tech feel.

Not many companies had moved in yet, so they should be able to find a suitable office space.

After learning the trio’s purpose, the Science Park management immediately sent someone to give Jiang Xia a tour and explain the specific advantages of Tsinghua Science Park.

These included government subsidies for resident companies, a positive environment and atmosphere for innovation and entrepreneurship, easier access to top talent and cutting-edge technology from nearby universities, and a well-established investment and financing system.

Most importantly, there were even better deals for student startups. Rent was only two yuan per square meter per day, meaning a 200-square-meter office would only cost 12,000 yuan a month.

Plus, there was no need for renovations. The spaces were fully furnished with all the necessary office equipment; you could move in right away as long as you brought your own computers.

At this point, Jiang Xia was already sold. He was tempted to sign an eight- or ten-year contract with the park manager on the spot.

In his eyes, Tsinghua Science Park had a bright future. Signing early meant getting in on the ground floor to reap the benefits of the times—a surefire investment.

However, moving in required submitting an application for review. Fortunately, Tsinghua Science Park was still in a phase of open recruitment, so the application threshold wasn’t high. As long as all the documents were in order, the approval should come quickly.

So, led by the staff member, Jiang Xia toured many office spaces, both large and small. The conditions of each one were excellent.

But he knew that with the studio’s reorganization, they could no longer operate like the small, scrappy team they were before. They needed to become a proper team with a full roster of positions.

The team would be about 25 to 30 people, including an art director, a storyboard artist, key animators, animators, two colorists, a compositor, post-production staff, a music producer, voice actors, and staff for operations, administration, and accounting—plus himself.

Therefore, they’d need an office of around 250 square meters. And considering the company would likely expand a second time soon, a slightly larger space of 300 square meters wouldn’t be out of the question.

After looking around, Jiang Xia set his sights on a space on the fifteenth floor. It was located right in the middle of the building, with a double-glazed glass curtain wall and an expansive, open view.

He was already starting to imagine the studio after its complete reorganization. ’Everyone working diligently, Qitian Animation releasing one hit after another...’ A devious grin slowly spread across his face.

Unfortunately, Qitian Animation didn’t have the qualifications to move in yet. However, they could use the upcoming military training period to work on the application, which would be a good use of that time.

At noon, the three of them left Tsinghua Science Park and went into a barbecue restaurant with an "All-You-Can-Eat" sign.

"What do you guys think?" Jiang Xia asked, using the serving chopsticks to place a slice of beef on the electric grill.

"It’s great in every respect, it’s just a little far from my place."

Wang Ming scratched his head. It would take about an hour to get there from the Central Academy of Fine Arts, and that was by taxi. The bus would be even slower.

"Old Wang, you’ll have to make a small sacrifice for the company’s sake. Here, have a slice of fatty beef to make up for it." Jiang Xia said with a grin, using the serving chopsticks to move a freshly grilled piece of beef into Wang Ming’s bowl.

Old Wang’s expression twitched. He knew there was no better place than Tsinghua Science Park; he had just been venting a little.

"Well, I need to make one thing clear," Wang Ming said. "I can only come over to work when I don’t have classes."

"Come or don’t come, I don’t care, as long as you turn in the key frames on time,"

Jiang Xia said casually. After all, Old Wang was one of his most trusted people. Over the two-plus months of summer vacation, they had both been drawing from home. Pulling all-nighters and working overtime was a regular occurrence, and no one was more hardworking or uncomplaining than him.

"That won’t do." Wang Ming shook his head. "I should still come in. A proper company needs to have a proper system. The last thing we need is special treatment for anyone."

Jiang Xia smiled to himself. ’What was I just thinking? This is Old Wang’s work ethic for you!’

’He deserves an Employee of the Year award, doesn’t he?’

"Oh, right. Old Wang, while you’re at the Central Academy of Fine Arts, keep an eye out for talented key animators for me. If they’re good enough, you can go ahead and give them an offer. We’ll have them sign their employment contracts once we’re officially moved in."

Jiang Xia said, handing a grilled oyster to Lin Yanwan.

"Okay. How many people are you looking for?"

"Including you, we need a total of six key animators. For now, you can recruit two or three. I’ll handle the rest. I already have one candidate in mind, but he hasn’t agreed yet. I’m pretty sure he’ll say yes, though."

"Alright," Wang Ming nodded.

"What about me? Am I just helping you sort out the qualifications for moving in?" Lin Yanwan asked.

"Right. It’s not difficult, per se. It’s just a matter of submitting the company’s documents. The problem is that Aunt Li is still busy signing contracts with other television stations. We have to wait for her to finish up so she can mail us the relevant files."

"Mhm."

"Old Wang, did you know the second season of *Cat and Mouse* is about to air?"

"The premiere is August 29th, right? My mom mentioned it," Wang Ming said. "With the success of the first season, a lot of TV stations are lining up to sign contracts with our company."

"That just proves how well-produced our *Cat and Mouse* is," Jiang Xia said. "But starting with the third season, I plan to take the animation quality to the next level. We’ve already made a name for ourselves. Now we need to solidify our reputation. We’ll make the visuals more refined, the animation smoother, the music richer, and the content more seamless. I want it so that whenever anyone talks about our *Cat and Mouse*, they’ll think of it as a classic of its time, an untouchable legend."

Jiang Xia ate a slice of pork belly and poured drinks for the other two.

His makeshift crew had produced 24 animated episodes in less than six months. Thinking back on it now, it still felt a little unbelievable.

Admittedly, compared to the exquisite quality of the original, his version was a bit "crude." But that was simply a necessary compromise given the circumstances they were in.

But now they were making money. With sufficient funding, they could optimize every part of the process and strive for perfection.

Just as he’d said, only by pushing a project to its absolute limit could they do justice to the original work and live up to the name *Cat and Mouse*.

Lin Yanwan suddenly glanced at him, a faint smile in her eyes.

As someone who had also been reborn, she completely understood how Jiang Xia felt at that moment.

In other words, he was no longer just in it for the money; he was driven by his original, unwavering passion.

Striving for perfection—this was Jiang Xia’s greatest tribute to the classics of his past life.