39. New Project

On this new Monday, Zhang Tan arrived at the company to water the plants and brew some tea, waiting for Luo Ming to arrive.

"The writing was excellent; the client is very satisfied," Luo Ming said, referring to the advertising copy Zhang Tan had written over the weekend.

Zhang Tan picked up the kettle, filled Luo Ming's thermos, and smiled, "It was fairly simple."

"I wouldn't have been able to write it if it were me. I've passed that age."

"You're too modest, Mr. Luo."

After chatting for a while, Luo Ming took his thermos and headed off to the *Under Mount Tianyu* project team.

Zhang Tan tidied up, grabbed his laptop and teacup, and went to the *Lamp Bearer* project team; a morning meeting was waiting for him.

Director Li presided over the meeting, with each department head reporting on their progress. When it was Zhang Tan's turn, he paused for a moment and said, "Nothing on my end. The script doesn't require any changes."

Director Li nodded without saying anything further.

After the meeting, Zhang Tan wandered around the project site for a bit, discussed work with the original artist, and then slowly returned to his office. Seeing everyone around him busy, he felt like a retiree with nothing to do.

He sat down, opened his computer, and began writing a video script for his next movie commentary episode.

After nearly a month of accumulation, his "Breathtaking" account had reached 150,000 followers. He had produced exactly ten videos, averaging one every three days—a rapid pace—yet he was still being urged by fans to upload daily.

Recently, his evening movie-watching time had been squeezed because Xiaobai kept bringing Shen Liuliu over to watch cartoons. The two sneaky little ones would tiptoe in, terrified but unable to resist the temptation, completely disregarding the warnings from the kindergarten teacher. They wouldn't dare do this if they were with Xiaomi or Meng Chengcheng, perfectly illustrating the saying that the bold feast while the timid starve. Xiaobai and Shen Liuliu were having a blast: watching cartoons, eating snacks, sipping bear-shaped drinks, and tapping their little feet.

The latest video Zhang Tan was preparing was a commentary on a movie released earlier this year. Unlike his first video, *The Chaser*, this film had a terrible reputation, with a rating of only 3 out of 10. Paradoxically, it had grossed over 400 million at the box office, shocking everyone who had looked down on it.

After watching the film, Zhang Tan was genuinely stunned. He had seen bad movies, but never one this abysmal—it couldn't even compare to the cartoons Xiaobai and Xiaomi watched. It lacked basic cinematic sense; it was more like a PowerPoint slideshow. Impressive, in a way.

However, it did one thing very well: its target audience was extremely clear. Those who criticized it for being a bad movie weren't wrong—it was indeed terrible—but it hadn't been made for them in the first place. It was tailor-made for its specific fan base.

In this regard, the movie was much more successful than most bad films; while others failed at both the box office and in reputation, this one at least made money.

Zhang Tan criticized the film, pointed out its flaws, and finally noted its merits—three points, specifically. Its clear positioning made it more competent than some self-important directors.

He wondered if this commentary would spark another wave of heated debate or even attract hate, just like his commentary on *The Chaser* had.

The office fell quiet, save for the sound of typing. The door was pushed open, and a middle-aged man in a white shirt poked his head in. Seeing Zhang Tan, he said, "You're here."

Zhang Tan quickly stood up: "Team Leader."

This was Feng Dong, the superior to both Zhang Tan and Luo Ming.

The Pujiang Film Studio divided its screenwriters into groups. Zhang Tan was in the Third Screenwriting Group, led by Feng Dong.

"Busy?" Feng Dong asked, glancing around the office. "It used to be so barren when only Luo Ming was here; it was painful to look at. Now that you've put in some flowers and plants, it looks much more comfortable."

Zhang Tan smiled, "I like tinkering with these. For those of us in the writing business, our eyes get tired easily. Looking at greenery is good for them."

Feng Dong nodded. Seeing Zhang Tan still standing, he said, "Sit, sit, don't stand. I came to talk to you about something."

Zhang Tan waited for him to sit before taking his own seat.

"How are things with the *Lamp Bearer* project?" Feng Dong asked.

Unsure of the reason for the visit, Zhang Tan replied truthfully, "The scripts for the first two seasons are already written, and Director Li has signed off on them. I don't really have much to do there right now."

In the workplace, admitting to having nothing to do was a taboo, but Zhang Tan said it anyway. On one hand, no project meant no bonus; on the other, he was young and needed plenty of projects to hone his skills, not to waste away in retirement.

"Director Li has praised you to me several times," Feng Dong said. "He says you're young and full of ideas—a true talent. Luo Ming has said the same. They both think very highly of you."

Zhang Tan offered a few modest remarks, wondering if the team leader was here to assign him a heavy load.

Feng Dong continued, "The company has a new project, and after some consideration, we'd like to recommend you to represent our Third Group."

"What kind of project?" Zhang Tan wondered.

Feng Dong explained that Pujiang Television would be celebrating its 50th anniversary next year and wanted to produce an animated film to commemorate the occasion.

Zhang Tan had never heard of such a requirement and asked, "Are there any specific demands?"

"Pujiang Television has a very close relationship with our studio; we've always viewed each other as brother units. Animation is a calling card for Pujiang, which is why the station chose to make one. The requirement is that the protagonist must be the station's mascot."

He then tested Zhang Tan: "Do you know what the Pujiang Television mascot is?"

"A panda, Qiqi."

Zhang Tan blurted it out, silently thanking Xiaobai and Liuliu. The two little ones had been watching Pujiang TV cartoons at his place for the past few days. Although he hadn't watched them, he had caught glimpses and noticed the chubby little panda named Qiqi appearing constantly.

Feng Dong nodded. "Exactly. It's a little panda named Qiqi. The station's request is to produce a feature-length animated film with Qiqi as the protagonist."

"What is the goal of this animation?" Zhang Tan asked. "Is it for the anniversary or for the market?"

"To use the anniversary as an opportunity to promote the television station," Feng Dong replied.

Zhang Tan nodded in understanding. Feng Dong continued with more details, finally saying, "If you agree, you need to start preparing now. Today is Monday; I need to see the story outline and synopsis by Wednesday."

It was such a great opportunity that Zhang Tan wouldn't dream of refusing. "I will hand in my work on time on Wednesday."

"Alright then, work hard. I won't disturb you any longer."

After Feng Dong left, Zhang Tan fell into contemplation, sorting through the information he had just received.

He could find the mascot Qiqi online—a chubby, adorable little panda. It reminded him of *Kung Fu Panda* from his previous life.

*Kung Fu Panda*... Xiaobai?

*Hmmmmm...* Zhang Tan shook his head, trying to shake off the thought of Xiaobai. He couldn't understand why he would associate *Kung Fu Panda* with her. They were completely different; Xiaobai was thin, small, and mischievous—not at all the clumsy type.

Back home, just as Zhang Tan reached his door and took out his keys, footsteps and giggling came from behind him. He didn't even need to turn around to guess that it could only be Xiaobai.

Zhang Tan turned, and sure enough, it was her! His eyes widened in utter confusion and shock. "Xiaobai, where are your clothes? Why are you running around shirtless?"