I’m Really a Superstar

Translator: Legge Editor: Legge

On the same day.

In the morning.

Miracle Animation Studios.

The company was located in a not too ideal location in the Tongzhou District. On the third floor of an old office building, there was an inconspicuous sign with the words "Miracle Animation" written on it. If anyone said that this was the office of an animation company that ranked top five domestically, no one would believe it.

In the office.

The six shareholders of the company were seated together.

They had all been university classmates. After their graduation, they had pooled their money together to form this company and had always fought their battles in the animation field. Their past productions of Monkey and Parrot and Records of the Pugilistic War had helped the company to shine. The team constantly grew and the company developed until they became one of the most outstanding animation companies in the country. However, with the arrival of the slowdown in the Chinese animation industry, the company fell from grace and hit rock bottom as they started losing money on their projects one by one, the company staff also leaving one after another. That sort of despair was indescribable with words. When the company was first named, everyone unanimously voted for "Miracle" in hopes that they could create a miracle in the Chinese animation industry. But now, this name they had chosen sounded very ironic.

Today, there was silence in the conference room.

This was because one of their shareholders had decided to leave the company. It was someone they co-founded the company with, a long-time friend and fellow comrade.

They had originally thought that they would be used to such a situation since they had experienced so many parting moments over the years. However, each time it happened again, they would find themselves unable to accept it.

Chen Xiang said, "Xiaokai has left."

Li Zhi said, "Of the twenty classmates we started with, there are only the six of us left."

Han Bin said, "What's with Xiaokai!"

Sun Xiaobei said, "Didn't we all agree to keep fighting til the end?!"

Chen Xiang said, "The company is losing money every day, and he couldn't endure it any longer. His girlfriend found him a programming job in Shanghai, so he went there to further his career."

Hu Kebang said, "Which animation company in the country has it good these days? It's the same for everyone. I've always believed that there is a future for our domestic cartoon industry, there must be!"

Chen Xiang said, "I used to think the same, but I'm starting to doubt it now."

Hu Kebang said, "Xiang'zi!"

Chen Xiang replied, "Let me finish speaking. It has been so many years, so I'm sure you all know which direction the market is headed towards. There's no sign that anything will improve. Moreover, with the popularity of Japanese comics like One Piece and Naruto spreading throughout Asia, the domestic cartoon industry has deteriorated even more and leaves us with an even smaller market to survive in. Japanese comics have more than a 95% share of our domestic market and everyone is reading them. Besides, we have to admit that we started off too late compared to them. In terms of company size, the scale of our domestic companies doesn't even come close to the size of a single one of their companies. In terms of production level and the specialization of their teams, we are lacking by too much as well. Both sides are animating, but if it were you, which one would you rather watch?"

It didn't appeal.

Nor was it praised.

The current situation of the Chinese animation productions was just too awkward.

Then, Sun Xiaobei said, "Opportunity does not wait for us."

Chen Xiang said, "I know that. To open up the market, we have to depend on ourselves. But the problem is, how do we do it? In all these years, how many domestic animation companies have tried? And how many have succeeded? Even if there were the occasional one or two domestic animations that did quite well, the response to them was just lukewarm. They can't even hit 5% of the popularity of One Piece! Can that even be considered a success? What is the point of having such success?"

Sun Xiaobei said, "But I still want to try."

Chen Xiang sighed. "Right now, we don't even have a project on hand, so what can we try?"

Sun Xiaobei had a determined look in her eyes. "I don't believe that we can't achieve what others have achieved. Domestic cartoons can't possibly always be suppressed by the Japanese cartoons." With a pause, she asked, "Has Zhang Ye's Studio replied to us yet?"

Zhao Chengfei said, "Not yet."

Chen Xiang shook his head. "We're just a small company. Why would he bother with us?"

Li Zhi also said, "That's right. That work proposal letter of yours was absolutely unnecessary. Teacher Zhang is an Asian superstar with so much work to handle every day. It's impossible that he would come to fight our battle with us. Who doesn't know that the domestic cartoon industry is a bottomless pit where one has to have the capital, take high risks and get low returns. Don't mention a superstar, even a director with a little bit of fame would not jump into this pit. He has stopped drawing One Piece, Naruto, and Detective Conan, so why would he come to meddle in our domestic cartoon industry for? To come here and wade in these murky waters?"

Sun Xiaobei clenched her teeth. "Then I will go over to their studio to invite him to join us."

Chen Xiang said, "They won't let us in."

Sun Xiaobei said, "Then I'll wait at the door until Teacher Zhang agrees to see me. Teacher Zhang is the only Chinese person to have wielded an influence on the cartoon industry. He is the only person to have done that!"

Li Zhi said, "We won't be able to see him."

Chen Xiang smacked his lips. "Hai, unless Teacher Zhang suddenly gets a brain fart or something."

Hu Kebang harrumphed and said, "That might not even help. Lord Zhang is someone who always relapses and gets brain farts very often."

Everyone shook their heads at this. Other than Sun Xiaobei and Hu Kebang, no one else was expecting a reply from Zhang Ye.

All of a sudden, the conference room door opened.

An employee ran in anxiously. " Boss Sun!"

Sun Xiaobei looked at him. "What's the matter?"

That person stammered while holding a fax in his hands, "L-Look at this! Quick, look at th-this!"

Sun Xiaobei gave a bewildered look and took the fax to read it. Then she was dumbfounded!

"Xiaobei?"

"What is it?"

"What's the fax about?"

Sun Xiaobei stared at them in astonishment and waved the fax in her hands. "Old Hu, you were right! Teacher Zhang really relapsed again!"

When everyone heard that, they were shocked!

"What did you say?"

"It's a fax from Zhang Ye?"

"But that's impossible!"

"Holy shit!"

"Show it to me, quick!"

The five of them were yelling as they rushed forward to have a look!

Sun Xiaobei laughed. She laughed until tears rolled down her cheeks. "It's Teacher Zhang's handwriting. I've seen the Preface to the Orchid Pavilion at least 50 times. These words cannot be written by anyone else!"

She was crying.

The moment she saw the fax, she cried.

The fax also had three lines in answer to the three issues they raised.

One: China's cartoon industry definitely has a way out.

Two: The way out lies right before our feet.

Three: Sure, I'll join you guys and give it a try.

—Zhang Ye.

The six shareholders went crazy!

"It's Zhang Ye!"

"It's his signature!"

"Oh my God!"

"Teacher Zhang has replied to our letter!"

"Xiaobei! You're awesome!"

"It's a success! He has really agreed!"

"Zhang Ye! It's really Zhang Ye!"

"How amazing! We actually managed to invite Zhang Ye to join us?"

They were simply unable to believe their eyes. Every one of them was embracing each other in excitement!

At this moment, their almost extinguished hopes for the Chinese cartoon industry were suddenly blazing into an uncontrollable flame again!