Chu Ge had described Chu Tiange's appearance, but to be fair, there are hundreds, if not thousands, of protagonists in online novels like that. Even within the same book, other supporting characters have similar descriptions. Without distinctive physical features, it's incredibly difficult to depict what an ordinary person looks like solely through words.
Xie Wenyuan didn't know why he recognized Chu Tiange at a glance. He could only attribute it to the fact that everyone was discussing the book, so his subconscious reaction was naturally Chu Tiange, which was understandable.
He, of course, didn't know that this was actually a painting of immortal essence, depicting the spirit of Chu Tiange. It used the spirit to express the essence, so naturally, everyone could immediately recognize it as Chu Tiange.
But regardless, it proved that it matched the reader's image of Chu Tiange. Whether the comic itself would be a hit was another matter, but at least the original fans would be satisfied.
Wasn't that the initial goal achieved?
And with this art style and technique, there was no need to worry about poor quality. The original author also controlled the plot adaptation. What studio could be more suitable than them?
Xie Wenyuan hadn't even considered it. This husband-and-wife workshop was just starting out with online classes on comic paneling and other techniques; they hadn't even graduated yet! Who the hell could have guessed that?!
He immediately made a decision: "Then you two can sign a comic contract with us in a bit."
"Uh..." Chu Ge asked cautiously, "Do we need to sign a contract? Should we register a studio right here?"
Xie Wenyuan: "?" Old Zhu: "...Signing under a personal name is fine too, the taxes are different."
"Taxes...does that mean I have to pay you?" Chu Ge's expression was strange: "We're drawing our own book, and then you pay me?"
Xie Wenyuan's expression twitched: "That's right, we're looking for creators for our own project, and we need to pay them..." Qiu Wuji also confirmed: "You've already given us three million to buy books and help promote our comics, and then you're paying us back..." "We'll pay you for the artwork." Xie Wenyuan couldn't help but laugh out loud: "That's right, I'll also pay you. And if the comic makes a profit, you'll get a share." Qiu Wuji cautiously asked, "How much?" Xie Wenyuan finally burst into laughter: "Originally, we were going to discuss this, but now we don't want to anymore. We'll give you the maximum market price, whatever a top-tier studio charges. This is hilarious, hahaha..." Old Zhu also laughed: "It wasn't your responsibility to negotiate this, and besides, it's a drop in the ocean compared to your total budget. What are you pretending to be so generous for?" Xie Wenyuan: "Hahahaha... Old Zhu, you two are such a cute pair despite the age difference." What are you laughing at? Can't we be poor? The couple exchanged a glance, both thinking to themselves, "We're drawing our own book, and someone's giving us money? This is so weird!" Regardless, this is still making money. They completely forgot that Qiu Wuji's aloof persona had crumbled into something adorable, and their mood improved even more. A great start! Xie Wenyuan smiled and continued to pour tea for the two men, then said, "We have a preliminary agreement with your company. If the comic achieves a certain level of success—not necessarily a hit, but just roughly on par—we will co-produce an animation based on the comic with their animation website. You wouldn't do that, would you?"
"Ahem..." Chu Ge coughed lightly, "No, we wouldn't."
"Alright... but we will still seek Mr. Chu's opinion on the script." Xie Wenyuan raised his teacup in a toast, "I hope the comic will be a hit; that would be a great start."
Both men raised their glasses in return, "We hope so."
Xie Wenyuan said, "Actually, what I really want to discuss with the author isn't this, but rather the author's own views on the adaptation. I've read the work; the style before and after is somewhat different, although..." "It's not to the point of complete separation... but adaptation needs a baseline. For example, we prefer to emphasize the plot and characters. If Mr. Chu himself prefers a more action-packed, popcorn-style story, then we might need further adjustments." Chu Ge asked, "Can't we combine them?"
"Combining them also requires a focus. Mr. Chu is the creator; he should be very clear about what he wants to sell and what's just for adjustment. As for the culture and atmosphere of fantasy, the characters' underlying thinking, which aspects are more easily understood and accepted by foreign audiences, and how to express them—we hope Mr. Chu has his own perspective, rather than blindly following the original text. Otherwise, it will be up to our team to decide." This is professionalism.
Many things aren't simply a matter of the author saying, "This is my plot, do it my way," and that's it. It might even be different from what the original fans want to see.
There are many more and deeper things to consider.
The reason we need to respect the author's opinion is because the author understands the original fans best and can most effectively combine these aspects, preventing things from going completely off track.
Chu Ge cautiously said, "Popcorn is easy to enjoy, but what truly resonates is the plot and characters. We have a foundation in ensemble dramas; we can refer to the *Game of Thrones* model..." He glanced cautiously at Xie Wenyuan, unsure if the latter thought this was too presumptuous. Seeing Xie Wenyuan's slight smile and lack of response, Chu Ge, like Qiu Wuji, dipped his finger in tea and began drawing on the coffee table:
"I have a complete world to follow, involving the West, incorporating their fantasy worldview and medieval kingdom system, as well as various dungeon monsters belonging to their realm. Combining this with our Xianxia (fantasy martial arts) is itself a cultural exchange... The initial plot can be interpreted as academy-like; we can design it like that..." Chu Ge rambled on for a good ten minutes, growing more and more as he spoke, spittle flying, without even taking a breath.
Qiu Wuji watched his profile with a smile. This guy was quite the talker, especially when discussing his expertise. That confident, exuberant air was very captivating.
Xie Wenyuan was also smiling.
He wanted to meet with the author in person, but it wasn't as pleasant as it sounded; fundamentally, it was a lack of trust.
He didn't trust that an online novel author had any comprehensive, long-term vision for these matters, fearing the author's stubborn insistence on "not allowing any changes to my plot," which would cause unpleasantness for everyone.
Asking these questions wasn't a test at all; it was more of a "give up" gesture. If you can't handle it, don't delay everyone's plans; just be a figurehead. At most, we'll respect your opinion and let you oversee things so they don't change things beyond recognition.
But there was an unexpected bonus: this author was incredibly thoughtful and meticulous, deeply invested in his work, and possessed a complete understanding of the world as if he had actually traveled through it. He could recreate that world from any angle and cultural perspective, without needing anyone else to adapt it.
As for the author's "arrogant" belief that he could be like *Game of Thrones*… that's a good thing.
Want to expand overseas? Without even this self-awareness, what's the point?
"What a find! This is incredible!"
"Speaking of which, this young couple is quite sophisticated. They're not just good-looking internet celebrities; this husband-and-wife workshop might actually be very successful in the future. It's quite different from what I originally imagined."
"No wonder Old Zhu was willing to invest so much money; this isn't just a superficial investment, he genuinely has high hopes."
Xie Wenyuan fell into thought.
After rambling for a good ten minutes, Chu Ge finally finished speaking, taking a sip of tea, looking a little thirsty. No one in the room interrupted, making him slightly embarrassed."
Seeing Chu Ge engrossed in drinking his tea, Xie Wenyuan finally snapped out of his reverie, smiling and extending his hand: "Welcome, Mr. Chu, to our project team as a special consultant and advisor to the screenwriting team." Chu Ge was taken aback, his expression turning strange again: "Don't tell me I have to pay for this too." Xie Wenyuan clapped his hands and laughed: "That's right, you'll get paid too." Seeing the pleasant atmosphere, Old Zhu opportunely said: "These things can't all be discussed while sitting in a tea room. This is just a simple exchange of opinions. There will be some meetings later, and I also have an investment meeting; I'm not here to keep you company. Let's call it a day. We've come from afar, so we should settle into a hotel first." Xie Wenyuan said: "I've already made reservations for you. Go settle in first. We'll have a meeting this afternoon to draft some agreements, and I'll treat you to dinner this evening."