22. Adapted Comics

The process of animation production is incredibly complex and slow, bearing no resemblance to the filming of live-action movies or television series. In live-action, once a project kicks off, the team works in tandem, pushing through day and night for months to finish the job in one go.

Animation projects are different. It is a long, drawn-out process spanning two, three, or even four to five years. It is akin to automobile manufacturing, where the process is refined down to the finest detail, with every step interlocking. Each person is responsible for one or several specific segments; once their part is done, their role in the project concludes, and they must wait years to see the finished product. Live-action film and television lean more toward art, while animation leans more toward industry.

Zhang Tan now faced this very problem. With the script written, his tasks for *Under Mount Tianyu* were essentially over. Once the screenwriting phase passes, the project moves to illustration and production—stages that had nothing to do with him. While Zhang Tan would have loved to participate in the entire workflow to understand the complete animation process, the timeline was simply too long. Even though *Under Mount Tianyu* was a seasonal series, the earliest the first episode would appear online was the end of the year—still more than half a year away.

Luo Ming, as the lead writer, still had to follow the subsequent stages and coordinate with the director regarding unexpected changes. He was required to stay with the production team. Zhang Tan, as an assistant writer, found himself with nothing to do.

With his workload lightened, Zhang Tan focused his energy on his public social media account. Over the following period, he released five film analysis videos under the username "Breathtaking." Thanks to recommendations from the Xilili website and the consistently high quality of his videos, his follower count climbed from 80,000 to 120,000, establishing him as a moderately popular content creator. However, no advertisers had reached out yet.

Someone else, however, did.

A real estate agent called Zhang Tan, asking if he had any intention of selling the Little Red Horse Academy. When Zhang Tan received the call, his first thought wasn't about whether he wanted to sell, but rather an intense curiosity: how did they get his number?

"Where did you get my phone number?"
"Sir, you registered an account on the XXX real estate agency website."
"I didn't enter my phone number, did I?"
"You did, sir. You might have forgotten."

Zhang Tan wasn't certain, so he didn't dwell on it. He chatted with the agent to get a rough idea of the market, neither agreeing to sell nor refusing. After hanging up, something felt wrong. He checked the real estate account he had once registered, and there was clearly no phone number listed. The person had lied. He had no idea how they obtained his number, let alone how they knew he wanted to sell the property. Personal information, it seemed, had absolutely no protection.

He stood up to boil water for tea and pushed open his office window to let in some fresh air. The pothos he kept had just been watered, its leaves a lush, vibrant green, with new shoots emerging over the past few days—it was full of vitality. The cactus was the most low-maintenance; it required no care at all, giving off a "stay away" vibe.

For some time now, Luo Ming had rarely been in the office, spending most of his time with the director and other staff, his laptop always in tow. Zhang Tan had tagged along for a few days to observe and learn.

That day, near the end of the workday, Luo Ming returned right on time. Seeing that Zhang Tan was still there, he asked, "Are you free? Let's grab dinner tonight."

Zhang Tan had been planning to head back to the "Heart-Filling Mouth-Filling" restaurant he had visited before, so he nodded and said, "Sure."

"Do you eat seafood?"
"I quite like it."
"Alright, then let's go for seafood. I know a place that’s excellent. Let's take my car."
"I actually drove today."

Luo Ming was taken aback. He had always known Zhang Tan took the subway to work and assumed he was short on cash, given that he was a fresh university graduate.

The two arrived at the restaurant and ordered. Halfway through the meal, Luo Ming said, "Now that the *Under Mount Tianyu* project is on track and the script is polished, your workload will decrease significantly."

Zhang Tan nodded. "It’s true, I’m not quite used to suddenly being free. I’m at a stage where I need to be more involved in projects to gain experience."

Luo Ming replied, "I heard the company is starting a new project. Are you interested?"

Zhang Tan finished what was in his mouth, wiped his lips with a napkin, and said firmly, "Of course I am."

"The company is planning to adapt a manga into an anime. They'll be selecting people internally to write the script soon. The leadership intends to give it to newcomers as a training exercise. If you're interested, I can recommend you tomorrow."

Zhang Tan understood immediately. Experienced and senior screenwriters weren't interested in such manga-to-anime adaptations, making it the perfect opportunity for a newcomer. It was exactly what he needed, so he didn't hesitate. "I want to give it a try."

"Give it a try, then. You have the ability. I'll recommend you first thing tomorrow morning. It shouldn't be a problem, but be prepared for competition—others will definitely sign up. Who gets chosen will depend on their own merits."

Luo Ming understood the higher-ups' intentions: they wanted to use this small project to scout for new talent and see who might stand out.

Zhang Tan poured more fruit juice for Luo Ming and said, "As long as there's an opportunity, I don't fear competition."

Luo Ming asked, "Have you read the manga they’re adapting, *The Lamp Bearer*?"
"I've heard of it, but I haven't read it."
"You should study it well."

After dinner, they parted ways. As Zhang Tan drove home, he passed through West Chang'an Street. The streets were bustling—fashionable men and women mingled with white-collar workers in suits who had just finished their shifts. The neon lights and the lively crowd made it hard to want to go home.

Zhang Tan drove slowly. He caught a glimpse of a familiar figure on the side of the road: a woman carrying a small stool in one hand and a cloth bag in the other. He had seen this figure at the gate of Little Red Horse Academy the day before yesterday; it was Xiao Bai's aunt.

He wasn't sure if it was her, as he could only see her back, not her face—though, to be fair, he had only seen the back of Xiao Bai's aunt that day, too. It had been quite some time, and he had never actually met Xiao Bai's aunt or uncle; by the time they came to pick her up, it was always late at night, and he would already be asleep.

As he drove, he watched the woman who looked like Xiao Bai's aunt walk away. She stopped in front of a jewelry store, placed her small stool on the ground, and began soliciting customers for shoe shining. Someone came out of the jewelry store and spoke a few words to her, and she moved her spot away from the entrance.

After parking his car, Zhang Tan walked through the alleys. Under the streetlights, adults and children were cooling off, and cats and dogs darted between their feet.

Someone saw Zhang Tan and greeted him proactively, "Young Master Zhang is back."
Zhang Tan smiled and replied, "It's just Zhang Tan. You can just call me Zhang Tan."

He continued on his way, greeting people as he went, hearing the crowd behind him whispering about how much he had changed and wondering if he was really "that" Zhang Tan.