Chapter 171 - 169: Poaching Aunt Li

Chapter 171: Chapter 169: Poaching Aunt Li

"Here are your lattes. Please enjoy." The waiter approached with two lattes on a tray, his attitude perfectly professional.

Li Weiya gently stirred with a spoon. The thick white foam gradually mixed with the coffee, creating a delicate two-toned swirl with a rich aroma.

She silently contemplated what Jiang Xia had said. She worked at an outsourcing company, and while the monthly salary was admittedly quite good, in terms of future prospects, it certainly couldn’t compare to Qitian Animation Company, which was focused on original creations.

At the end of the day, an outsourcing company was just a hired hand, while the copyright holder was the real boss. The two couldn’t even be compared.

And every artistic creator hoped to one day create their own bestseller. This obsession didn’t just fade away with age.

Now, Jiang Xia was young, had a dream, and was full of creativity. He was in the perfect position to offer her all of that.

For a moment, Li Weiya found herself swayed by his words.

She couldn’t help but think about her day-to-day routine of handling the company’s outsourced projects. It was like being part of a machine, with no room for creativity. It was draining, both physically and mentally. The only time she felt a spark was when she talked to her son about Cat and Mouse, and the light in his eyes was infectious.

Sometimes, Li Weiya truly envied those who could dedicate all their passion to their dreams. When she was young, she too had chased a dream, wanting to become a great artist like Picasso or da Vinci. But unfortunately, dreams couldn’t put food on the table. When you were starving, they weren’t even worth two coins.

Thinking of her former self, Li Weiya’s gaze drifted for a moment. Then she looked up at Ah Xia, a trace of weariness seemingly showing between her brows.

"What’s this? Going for the classic ’three visits to the cottage’?" she joked, taking a sip of her latte.

Jiang Xia paused for a moment, then realized this was indeed the third time he had invited her.

If the timing wasn’t right before, it certainly was now. Qitian Animation Company was completely on the right track. It just needed to proceed step by step, and its steady development was all but guaranteed—accidents were almost out of the question.

"Aunt Li, Cat and Mouse wouldn’t have become a hit without your help. Ah Ming and I are still too young. If Qitian Animation wants to become a world-class animation company, it needs a senior figure like you to hold down the fort."

Jiang Xia pressed his lips together, then bluntly fanned the flames. "Joining now would be a lifeline. Joining later would just be icing on the cake. What do you say, Aunt Li?"

Silence descended.

Li Weiya looked down, not speaking. Qitian Animation Company was small right now; if she joined, she would be a core, founding member. If she waited until the company was profitable before joining, the significance would be completely different.

Just as he’d said, providing a lifeline was a much greater contribution than adding icing on the cake.

After thinking for a long time, Li Weiya let out a long sigh. "Ah Xia, let me think it over some more."

Jiang Xia smiled faintly. ’Her saying that means she’s probably already made a decision. I can relax now.’

’This "thinking it over" is just for her to convince herself. Besides, switching jobs isn’t something that can happen overnight. For instance, she has to submit her resignation in advance and finish up her current projects to ensure a smooth handover. All of that takes time.’

"Aunt Li, regarding salary, I can’t offer you that much just yet. But give me a little time, a year at most, and I’ll raise it to that level for you," he said earnestly.

Li Weiya laughed, feigning annoyance. "You don’t even know what my salary is, and you dare to poach me?"

Jiang Xia chuckled. "I have confidence in myself, and I have confidence in you, Aunt Li."

Li Weiya didn’t doubt that. A five-figure salary really wouldn’t be much for him to afford. Once the Cat and Mouse merchandise launched, he’d be watching the money roll in every day.

"Give me another month. The work I have on hand will be mostly finished by then, and I can hand it off to someone else without worry." She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, her tone tinged with a bit of resignation.

’Joining Qitian Animation Company means I’ll be working for my former student and as a colleague to my own son. What a novel experience that’ll be.’

Jiang Xia blinked. ’Did I actually manage to convince her? Looks like my poaching skills are pretty sharp after all.’

"But that’s just the ideal scenario. What if my boss won’t let me leave..."

"Not an option. I’ll drag you over here if I have to!" he blurted out.

Li Weiya froze for a second, then shot him an embarrassed and annoyed glare.

’What does he mean, "drag" me over? I’m not some... hmm...’

"Ahem, what I mean is, Aunt Li, please have pity on me! I can’t do it without you. You wouldn’t want to see me end up unable to afford food and sleeping on the streets, would you?" Jiang Xia shamelessly started playing the sympathy card.

"Alright, alright, stop the act! You should be laughing your head off that I even agreed," she muttered. "Unable to afford food... you’re a big boss now, for goodness’ sake. What kind of person tries to poach someone by throwing a tantrum?"

Jiang Xia just chuckled. This shameless tactic of his was tried and true.

"Okay, let’s talk about your esteemed father-in-law. What’s your plan?" Li Weiya took a sip of her latte, decisively changing the subject. The business of her resignation wasn’t something to be settled in a moment; she’d have to discuss it with her son when she got home.

Jiang Xia immediately dropped his playful expression and said seriously, "When I get back today, I’ll give her dad the contact information for Qitian Animation Company and announce that we’re accepting bids for merchandise figures. Her dad’s toy factory has been under a lot of financial pressure lately, so he’ll definitely take the bait."

Li Weiya gave him a strange look. ’It’s one thing for this guy to scheme to get me on board, but he’s even plotting against his own future father-in-law. He’s really ruthless.’

’Thinking about it, this seems to be his M.O. The company is full of acquaintances. Good heavens, is he trying to make everyone he knows work for him?’

"It does sound feasible."

"And that’s where I’ll need you to step in, Aunt Li. You’ll represent Qitian Animation Company and sign the contract with my father-in-law. Of course, don’t squeeze him too hard on the price."

As he spoke, Jiang Xia opened the contract and continued, "For example, this clause here: a one-year copyright transfer fee of two million. Her dad definitely can’t afford that much. Instead, we can do a royalty-based agreement. In other words, I’ll take a percentage of the revenue based on how much merchandise he sells."

"You’re really something else as a son-in-law, you know that? You’re taking on all the risk yourself, aren’t you? You’d better think this through. If the toys don’t sell, you’re going to lose big."

Li Weiya’s cheek twitched slightly. As the saying goes, even blood brothers must keep clear accounts. He wasn’t even married yet, but he was willing to go this far for his future father-in-law. In her eyes, what Jiang Xia was doing was practically charity.

"Not at all, not at all. I’m confident. Aunt Li, you may not have heard this saying before, but what’s free is often the most expensive," Jiang Xia said with a grin.

With the fame Cat and Mouse had gained on TV and online, plus the fact that he was personally handling the designs, Jiang Xia was certain that sales of the merchandise figures would be excellent—far exceeding the two million mark. At that point, he’d truly be making money in his sleep.

"...I hope so."

...

(SOB SOB, my next book is definitely going to be about young, married women.)