Chapter 437 - 422: The Unfinished Battle, Part 2

Chapter 437: Chapter 422: The Unfinished Battle, Part 2

Li Weiya smiled. "Yanwan, want to have dinner together tonight? I’ll cook us some spicy fish."

"N-no... that’s okay, Godmother. I got my period, so I can’t eat spicy food for a few days," Lin Yanwan said, her face flushing slightly. ’I hope this excuse is enough to dispel her suspicions.’

"Oh, I see. Alright then. You should go home and get some rest. Remember not to touch cold water or get chilled. Drink some warm, nourishing soup, and your tummy will feel much better," Li Weiya said.

"I will. Thanks for caring, Godmother."

Li Weiya watched Lin Yanwan leave, only then slowly retracting her gaze.

’Did I really guess wrong? Maybe Ah Xia was just resting in the office, and the two of them really didn’t do anything.’

’But what if she was just saying that to throw me off?’

’Oh, forget it. None of this is important. Even if they really did sneak around and do something naughty in the office, so what? They’re a married couple, and it’s their company. It’s perfectly normal for them to be a little wild.’

She let out a soft sigh, checked the time, and began packing up to leave for the day.

After reviewing the financial reports, Jiang Xia made the rounds to the various animation teams to check if production had slowed down recently.

Things were looking good. Animation production was proceeding normally. Apart from *Cat and Mouse*, which released 12 new episodes every two months, the other three animated series maintained a steady release schedule of one new episode at a time, with a four-episode buffer in reserve. This ensured there would never be any release delays.

This consistency was one of the reasons Qitian Animation’s public reputation remained so solid.

With only two months left before the year was over, the 2012 *Cat and Mouse: Year of the Dragon* movie was already more than halfway complete. Jiang Xia dropped by the production floor and found Old Wang, storyboard in hand, directing with intense focus.

The production team for the feature film was the same as before. And while the animation director had changed, they were building on the foundation of the previous Year of the Rabbit movie, so the new film’s pacing was excellent, with no major issues.

He had already read the script directed by Wang Ming. The title was *Cat and Mouse: Dragon vs. Tiger*, which suggested an animated film full of intense conflict.

The story opens on a luxury cruise ship. As it sails through a certain stretch of sea, the weather suddenly turns chaotic: a tornado forms, lightning flashes, thunder booms, and monstrous waves roll in. The cruise ship capsizes, and Tom and Jerry find themselves stranded on a deserted island.

After a series of familiar chases, they suddenly discover the island is home to a tribe of islanders who worship a divine dragon. As outsiders, Tom and Jerry are hunted by the tribe.

For the first time ever, the perpetually opposed Tom and Jerry team up to fight a common enemy. They eventually stumble into the ancient Ruins of the Dragon, sparking a series of hilarious incidents with a young islander who chases them inside.

After reviewing the script and storyboards from Old Wang, even Jiang Xia had to admit that the concept was excellent.

’As expected of the man who created an award-winning animated short all by himself in my past life. His directorial talent is undeniable.’

The feature film incorporated popular adventure elements and transformed the iconic frenemies, Tom and Jerry, from adversaries into allies. The character designs for the islanders were also excellent, and the battle of wits between the opposing sides inside the Ruins of the Dragon was absolutely brilliant.

Barring any surprises, this film was bound to be another blockbuster once it hit theaters during the Spring Festival. It was hard to say if it could beat the 1.78 billion box office record set by the Year of the Rabbit movie, but its performance would be strong regardless.

After all, over the past two and a half years, *Cat and Mouse* had built up an enormous domestic fanbase. Young and old, men and women—everyone loved the hilarious duo.

Plus, with the recovering national economy and the rapid growth of the mobile internet, breaking one billion at the box office shouldn’t be a problem.

It was clear that for the 1% box-office-share bonus, Wang Ming was giving it his all, striving to make this film absolutely perfect.

"Old Wang, is there a problem with production?" Jiang Xia asked with a friendly smile.

Wang Ming turned, and when he saw it was Jiang Xia, his tightly knitted brow slowly relaxed.

"It’s nothing major," he said. "Just a couple of shots that are distorted. They need to be redone, so it’s a bit of a waste of time."

Jiang Xia carefully reviewed the current cut, first at normal speed and then slowed down. He confirmed that there were indeed problems in two blink-and-you’ll-miss-it shots.

You would never notice them without looking closely, though. It was clear Old Wang’s standards for production were incredibly high.

"Just leave it. No one will probably ever notice such a small issue. Why be so strict?" Jiang Xia laughed.

Wang Ming rolled his eyes. Of course he could tell Jiang Xia was being sarcastic. That guy was even more demanding than he was, forcing redos over the tiniest of flaws.

"Don’t you have a conscience saying that? This is going on the big screen; it can’t have any flaws, alright? We found the problem now, so we have time to fix it. If we’d only discovered this on the eve of the release, we’d be completely screwed."

Hearing Old Wang’s response, Jiang Xia felt reassured. He clapped him on the shoulder. "Alright, I’ll let you get back to it. I’m heading out for the day. Keep up the great work. I’m counting on you."

Old Wang nodded. The 1% bonus aside, Jiang Xia had entrusted him with such a critical task, and he had no intention of letting him down.

Besides, he had just won the award for Best New Animation Director. This was his chance to prove his worth, and he couldn’t afford to fail.

Jiang Xia strolled to the parking garage and saw his wife in the passenger seat, leaning back against the headrest with her eyes closed. He quietly opened the door and leaned over to steal a kiss from her soft, red lips.

Lin Yanwan jumped in surprise. Realizing it was Jiang Xia, she swatted him in annoyance.

"What took you so long?"

He slid into the driver’s seat and smiled. "I was making the rounds in a few departments, then I chatted with Old Wang for a while about the *Cat and Mouse: Year of the Dragon* movie. Got a little held up."

"I heard you already finished composing the insert songs for the feature film?"

Lin Yanwan nodded. "Considering the film is an adventure with a lot of tense, thrilling moments, I incorporated menacing brass, heroic strings, tribal drums, and bold horns into the main theme."

Jiang Xia didn’t know much about music, but since his wife said it was good, then it was definitely good.

"Darling, look what I’ve got here," he said, holding out a sketch.

"You’re impossible!" She snatched it from him and ripped it to shreds.

Jiang Xia just chuckled, started the engine, and slowly pulled the car out of the garage.

He could only think of one thing now: getting home as soon as possible to finish what they had started in the office.

...

(Recommending a friend’s book: *This Life, I’m So Over Romance*)

Synopsis: In my first life, I was strung along by my two-faced childhood sweetheart. I simped for her for 10 years, only for her to tell me she "just saw me as a brother" before getting into another guy’s car.

In my second life, I learned my lesson. No more simping! I saved a rich, beautiful upperclassman, thinking I was in for a sweet romance and a life of ease. But who knew that the yandere girl would end up giving me lifelong trauma...

In my third life, I get it! I really get it now! Women are terrifying! Romance is terrifying! If I ever fall in love again, I’m a dog!

This life, I’m so over romance!

By a veteran author under a new pen name. Harem, multiple female leads. Check it out if you like that sort of thing.