Chapter 200: Placing Orders and Taking Orders

Chapter 200: Placing and Accepting Orders

In truth, Meng Fan had overlooked one detail: his live-streaming channel.

The earliest followers in his room had joined because of his drawing, and most of those who followed later were also manga enthusiasts—a massive pool of potential consumers.

With this in mind, fifty thousand copies didn't seem like such a high number anymore, and he certainly didn't need to resort to artificial inflation.

The biggest hurdle to completing the "Professional Manga Artist" task was the content; with only eleven chapters updated, he barely had enough for one volume.

"Eight chapters!"

Meng Fan carefully reviewed the manga and the script provided by Kun Ye. While ending the first volume at chapter eight wasn't ideal—chapter nine would have made for a more complete narrative arc—he couldn't afford to be picky. His goal was to churn out as many volumes as possible.

Of course, this assumed the page count of the first eight chapters was sufficient to fill a single volume.

"Eight chapters?"

Kun Ye, intimately familiar with the content, raised no objections. Instead, he chuckled, "I think it’s brilliant! The connection between chapter eight and nine is incredibly strong. Ending it right after chapter eight... ha! That cliffhanger is pure torture. I love it!"

Meng Fan was speechless; he hadn't expected Kun Ye to interpret it that way.

Then again, Kun Ye was notorious for his cliffhangers, often going days without updates, earning him the title of "Cliffhanger Dog." Well, he was a graduate of the Qidian School of Suspense, so his thought process was predictably ruthless.

"It’s settled then. I’ll place the order immediately."

Kun Ye hung up.

"Place the order?"

People with deep pockets really were different; they spoke with such confidence.

With the publishing side essentially settled, Meng Fan figured that regardless of how the first volume sold, subsequent publications would be a breeze. Even if sales were sluggish, as long as he managed the first few volumes to hit the hundred-thousand-copy mark, he would be set.

The system didn't specify the performance required for each volume, only that the total sales reach 100,000.

Experience had already proven this.

His progress for the "Professional Manga Artist" task was 1/10, the "1" representing the first volume of *Campus Love Guide*.

As for sales experience, it remained at zero because Meng Fan had given away all the copies of *Campus Love Guide* he’d printed; since they hadn't gone through proper sales channels, the system naturally granted no credit.

Now that *Campus Love Guide* had reached over twenty chapters, he could consider a second volume. Whether it sold or not was beside the point.

The next day, Meng Fan sought out Qin Jiao to handle the publishing, as she had facilitated the previous one.

"No problem," Qin Jiao said. "Our studio has a quota for publishing serial numbers; we can just submit it for approval. Are you paying for this one yourself again?"

This time, Meng Fan wasn't in a rush. By letting a publisher handle it, he could at least tap into retail channels and rack up some sales figures.

Besides, *Campus Love Guide* was actually quite popular now; it wasn't guaranteed to flop.

"Let's go."

Qin Jiao told Meng Fan to wait, then pulled up in her car.

"Where to? The publisher?"

"The studio! Even if you’re a hands-off boss, you should at least meet the team."

They soon arrived at the Xizi Cultural and Creative Park. As Meng Fan stepped out, he saw the "Damei Studio" sign hanging above. Stepping inside, he blinked in surprise—the interior was a world away from his last visit.

Renovations?

In just a few days? That was impossible. The space hadn't needed structural work, but the transformation was undeniable—new office furniture, potted plants, trinkets, and equipment. It looked simple, yet it exuded creativity and culture. It was a vibrant, living workspace.

"Teacher Qin, Boss Meng."

The studio was already bustling. Seeing them arrive, the staff—all graduates or students from the Fine Arts Academy—stood up to greet them. They all knew Meng Fan and were aware he was a co-owner, so they addressed him by the title he’d earned on his stream.

Initially, they had been curious why Qin Jiao would partner with Meng Fan. Later, though the reason remained unclear, their respect for him was absolute.

They knew his manga and illustrations were top-tier, his web novel adaptations were the talk of the industry, and he was a master of sand art to boot.

"Hello, everyone."

Meng Fan counted about a dozen people. He was stunned to see Zhang Zhouwei among them. "What are you doing here?"

Zhang Zhouwei gave a wry smile and pointed to Wang Yanan, who was descending the stairs. "Yanan is a member of the studio, and I’ve been dragged in as manual labor."

That made sense. Zhang Zhouwei was far too lazy to work unless Wang Yanan was the one cracking the whip.

They say every creature has its match, and Meng Fan thought Zhang Zhouwei was lucky; with Wang Yanan keeping him in check, he might still try to slack off, but he was at least moving in the right direction.

Qin Jiao introduced the members to Meng Fan one by one, then clapped her hands. "Our studio’s main focus right now is illustration. Your Boss Meng is an expert here, so let’s have him share some insights."

With that, she dragged Meng Fan into the conference room.

Was she just bringing him in to meet the staff?

That would be giving Qin Jiao too much credit.

She hadn't just prepared a conference room; she had a PowerPoint presentation ready, filled with Meng Fan’s past illustrations and the hand-drawn posters he’d created for various film crews.

His hand-drawn posters had caused quite a stir in the industry—they were simply too good.

Of the dozen sets he’d produced, five or six had been released, and each was hailed as a masterpiece of technique and creativity.

The first set had been a referral from Qin Jiao, so she had naturally kept a close eye on his work. Now that the studio was established, she was even more invested.

She might not care about the money, but her staff certainly did.

Hand-drawn posters for film crews were a lucrative niche. With Meng Fan as a hidden master, Qin Jiao saw an opportunity to expand their business. It didn't mean Meng Fan had to draw every single one himself; his guidance would suffice.

If he could draw like that, he surely knew how to teach.

Though he’d been thrown into the deep end, Meng Fan quickly found his rhythm. The hour-long session was packed with practical, high-value advice that left the staff feeling truly enlightened.

Qin Jiao nodded along, and when Meng Fan finished, she raised her hand with a smile. "Boss Meng, could you share some experience on how to land orders? Our current workload is a bit thin!"

Using "you" so formally—she wasn't asking for advice; she was asking for contracts!

Meng Fan pulled out his phone, created a WeChat group with Kun Ye, Pingtou Ge, Bude, and other web novel authors he’d worked with, and typed: "I’ve started a studio and we’re taking on a large volume of novel illustration orders. Didn't you mention many authors need illustrations? You can add them to this group. Our studio members will handle the coordination and showcase their work. You can find the right artist for your needs."

Meng Fan didn't intend to take on the illustration work himself; he would leave it to the studio members, all of whom were Fine Arts graduates with professional skills.

For the authors, it saved them the trouble of hunting for illustrators. They had professionals right here.

It was a win-win.