Chapter 10

PS: Notice anything? This book has already been signed. Thanks to Dongri Yan Yan for the reward, the first one. Also, the character section has been set up, with a picture of Xiaobai.

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Sangrou couldn't help but speak up when the team leader called on her to review "This Hero Is Clearly Strong but Excessively Cautious."

"Team leader, my script is very interesting..."

She listed a bunch of its strengths.

Old Liu remained unperturbed and said, "Talk about the weaknesses too."

Sangrou was taken aback and said, "I don't think there are any weaknesses, it's very good."

Old Liu: "How can there be no weaknesses? Every script has weaknesses."

Sangrou thought for a moment and said, "There really are no weaknesses."

The team leader said, "I think you lack insight."

"Hehe, team leader, I'm shallow, but there are indeed some weaknesses, like some of the plots being a bit cliché, such as the princess summoning a hero to save the world..."

She squeezed out three weaknesses from her teeth and couldn't think of any more.

"Huh? Three as well?"

The team leader looked around at the others and asked, "What about the rest? He Chao?"

He Chao shared his views and concluded, "The last one I think is the biggest weakness, which is that the market might not accept it well."

The team leader, unhappy, said, "Don't just give a little, come on! All at once, be straightforward!"

Everyone felt a chill, and He Chao quickly said, "The hero's biggest characteristic is being very strong but very cautious..."

After him, two more people shared their thoughts on the hero, all finding it interesting, but when it came to listing the weaknesses, they all said it didn't meet the current market's mainstream demand.

What is the current market's mainstream demand?

Excitement, overcoming challenges, evenly matched opponents, or even overwhelming enemies, the protagonist falling into a desperate situation, and then their inner power exploding... In short, they must go through great difficulties and near-death experiences to defeat the opponent and achieve transformation.

The script for the hero, however, goes against the market's mainstream. The protagonist is overly powerful and still so cautious, so why even fight? Just kick his butt.

After everyone spoke, Team Leader Liu neither confirmed nor denied, and called on the next group to speak.

Sangrou couldn't help but interject, "Boss, who wrote this script?"

Old Liu glanced at her and said, "Does it matter who wrote it?"

Sangrou: "I just want to meet this... great person."

Old Liu said, "Ask Zhang Tan later, he knows."

Everyone turned to look at Zhang Tan, and Sangrou said, "Zhang Tan, you knew? You were joking with me this morning, that's not fair."

Zhang Tan: "I said you would have reservations if you knew."

Sangrou suspected, "Could it be the team leader who wrote it?"

Old Liu was a bit pleased but denied, "I'm not that young at heart."

Next, the remaining few spoke one by one, and after the meeting, Old Liu kept Zhang Tan to discuss his hero script.

"Overall, it's very good, but everyone has a point, this style is too different from the current market's mainstream demand, and the corresponding risk is too high..."

Zhang Tan understood the team leader's point.

Making an animation is a long process, more complicated than live-action films, with a complex production process involving hundreds of people working together, and every frame has to be drawn by hand, so once a project is approved, it takes at least two years.

With such a large workload and significant investment, the animation company has to be cautious. Instead of betting on a hero, it's safer to approve a mainstream animation, like "Below Tianyu Mountain."

After understanding this, Zhang Tan had no regrets. He never expected the hero to be approved; he just wanted to hear professional screenwriters' opinions and gauge the market's reaction. Now his goal was achieved.

Back at his desk, Zhang Tan packed up to leave, and Sangrou caught up and asked, "Zhang Tan, Zhang Tan, you still haven't told me who wrote the hero?"

Zhang Tan said while walking, "Why do you want to know so badly who the author is?"

Sangrou: "I think this author is right up my alley, I want to meet them. Who is it, tell me, tell me."

"Me."

Zhang Tan said and entered the elevator, leaving Sangrou standing outside, staring at him.

"Are you coming in? The elevator is closing."

"Ah? Oh, oh, oh."

Sangrou hurriedly followed into the elevator and continued to stare at him.

"What's that look for?"

"Zhang Tan, what did you say? The hero is written by you?"

"Yes, I'm that funny person."

"…So you're the big boss behind the scenes, intentionally making fun of me."

Zhang Tan didn't stop, got out of the elevator, and as the new people came in, they saw a girl inside banging her head against the elevator wall, muttering, "I'm the funny one, I am."

Someone kindly asked, "The elevator is going up, are you getting out?"

Sangrou touched her forehead, which was still smooth and unbroken.

"8th floor, thanks."

Sangrou, who had returned, found her colleagues who were leaving and ran to each one, saying, "Do you know? The funny person who wrote the hero is Zhang Tan."

Very boring and gossipy.

Zhang Tan came out of the subway, went to the market, bought some vegetables, went home, rolled up his sleeves, put on an apron, and started cooking dinner.

He was particular about food and had excellent cooking skills.

Opening the kitchen window, he heard the voices of children in the yard.

"Is there a child here? Children, are you there?"

"Not a single one."

Under the trees, no one was in sight, but he knew it was Xiaobai.

She was the only one who spoke Sichuanese.

A moment later, the yard echoed with the sound of a ball being kicked, and a small figure was seen playing soccer, indeed Xiaobai in a large Chinese uniform.

This child was always the first to arrive at the school and, without playmates, would play soccer or dig in the sand.

She had no technique, just chasing the ball and kicking it, then chasing it again and kicking it, the only difference from running being the soccer ball teasing her.

Suddenly, Xiaobai looked up and saw Zhang Tan at the window, tilting her head and staring at him for a while. Her little face, with a band-aid, faced Zhang Tan.

She picked up the ball, ran closer, and stood under the window, holding up two fingers and asking, "Uncle, what's this?"

Zhang Tan was speechless, not wanting to answer, as it would lower his IQ, but not answering would make Xiaobai think he was drunk.

"This is 2!"

Xiaobai grinned and said, "Uncle, come play? Come play."

She patted the ball on the ground, inviting him to play soccer.

That day, she saw Zhang Tan kick the ball and thought he was pretty good, suitable to play with her.

Most people, with poor skills, she wouldn't even consider.

In Little Red Horse School, few girls could play soccer with her, and boys often ended up fighting with her.

My mom doesn't let me play with you, Zhang Tan thought but didn't say it.

"I don't want to play soccer now."

Xiaobai still invited him enthusiastically:

"Come on, come on."

"No, no."

"Come on, play, come down."

"Really not coming."

"Come on, play, come down."

"Thanks, really not coming."

"Why? Why not coming?"

Xiaobai jumped up, a bit aggressive, so enthusiastic an invitation and he still didn't come, what's the deal?

Zhang Tan was amused and puzzled, how could she be so domineering? It felt like a tyrant CEO's pressure.

"I'm cooking dinner, can't play soccer with you."

He was making stir-fried pork with mushrooms.

"Haven't you eaten yet?" Xiaobai asked.

"Eaten what?"

"Mangmang."

"What's that? Speak Mandarin."

"Haven't you eaten yet?"

"No, have you?"

"Yes."

"Eating and then doing intense exercise can cause stomach pain."

"My stomach doesn't hurt."

...

As they chatted, Xiaobai gave Zhang Tan a very unique feeling. This kid had a mix of cuteness and dominance, both cute and domineering, one moment full of fire, ready to fight, the next moment it all vanished.

The security guard, Old Li, in the distant booth kept looking over, thinking Xiaobai was challenging Zhang Tan. This kid was capable of such things, always trying to pull him in, saying she would give Zhang Tan a couple of earfuls.

He was worried and left his post to check. If they were fighting, he would have to mediate, but upon approaching, he heard them chatting about food. They weren't like old friends, but not enemies either.

Not shouting and fighting? How did it change so quickly?

He listened for a while, confirmed they wouldn't turn on each other, and quietly left, relieved he hadn't been swayed by Xiaobai to cause trouble for Zhang Tan, or he would be in a difficult position.

Kids are unreliable, saying they're friends one moment and enemies the next, almost giving him a backache.

"Smells good."

Xiaobai stood downstairs, sniffing, then suddenly clutched her neck, "Ouch, ouch."

"What's wrong?" Zhang Tan asked.

He checked the exhaust fan, which was on, and there was no way the smell could have leaked down to the first floor.

He turned up the exhaust fan to the highest setting.

"My neck is so sore, I'll come up and chat with you."

She dropped the ball and darted into the building.

Soon, Xiaobai knocked on the door.

Zhang Tan wiped his hands and opened the door.

"Here, have some." Xiaobai grabbed a handful of boiled peanuts from her pocket and offered them to Zhang Tan.

"Keep them for yourself, I don't eat them."

"Why? Why not? What do you mean?"

She seemed ready to eat him if he didn't eat her peanuts.

"..." Zhang Tan said, "I'm about to have dinner, I'll be full and won't be able to eat."

Xiaobai didn't care, forced the peanuts into his hand, and made him eat.

What a domineering CEO style.

Zhang Tan, amused and helpless, peeled a peanut and ate it to show sincerity, inviting Xiaobai to come in and sit down.

Xiaobai leaned on the door frame, looked down at the shiny floor, and shook her head, "My feet are so dirty, I'll make your place dirty."

Then she looked inside and asked, "Uncle, what are you cooking?"

Zhang Tan: "Stir-fried pork with mushrooms. Do you want to come in and see, and try my cooking?"

Xiaobai shook her head, "I'll wait for the other kids, bye~"

And she ran off.