Chapter 228: Blurt It Out

Chapter 228: Ready at a Moment’s Notice

"Don't be in such a hurry to hang up."

Kun-ye stopped Meng Fan just as he was about to end the call. "Are you interested in doing a book signing for the comic? If you are, I can arrange a few sessions for you."

"I don't see much point in it. Let's skip it."

There is a significant difference between a comic adapted from a novel and an original work. For the latter, a signing is a way to interact with fans and boost sales, but for the former, one has to wonder if the fans are coming for the artist or the original novelist.

If he went through with it, it would be awkward for Meng Fan, awkward for Kun-ye, and awkward for the fans.

"Oh, I see. I was actually planning to set one up in Shanghai just so I could take the opportunity to meet you... Damn, you hung up so decisively!"

Kun-ye called Meng Fan back. "I wasn't finished. We need to talk about your royalties."

The *Spirit Beneath the Earth* comic is serialized on Penguin Comics; the first ten chapters are free, and the rest are pay-to-read. Unlike *A Guide to Campus Romance*, which couldn't be monetized due to a lack of contract, this one is fully commercial.

The plot of *Spirit Beneath the Earth* is steered by Kun-ye, but with Meng Fan’s execution, even those who have read the novel find it fresh and compelling.

Not to mention the art style and technique!

The comic is a bestseller on Penguin Comics. Coupled with Meng Fan’s frantic update schedule—at minimum a daily update, sometimes even three a day—it has dominated the bestseller list for quite some time.

Meng Fan can see the backend sales, and the data confirms the immense purchasing power of the Penguin Comics audience.

"Your share of the comic royalties will follow the original percentage. Also, didn't you mention hiring several assistants? I’ll cover those costs. Last month’s royalties weren't much, but this month’s will be higher, though they haven't been settled yet. The platform settles directly with me, so I’ll advance you the amount due up to the fifteenth of this month."

"The physical publishing royalties also follow the original split, but I have to be upfront: the money comes in slowly. The first batch settles quickly, but there isn't much, and the cycles for the rest are quite long. If you need cash, just let me know, and I’ll advance it to you."

"Alright, I’ll let you know if I need anything."

This time, Kun-ye hung up before Meng Fan could, then transferred the comic royalties—a round figure of one hundred thousand yuan.

To be honest, this was a generous sum, especially considering the multiple layers of revenue sharing and the short time it had been on the market.

Compared to what Meng Fan earned from illustrations and hand-drawn posters, it was admittedly a bit meager, but the nature of the work was different: one was a one-off transaction, the other a steady stream of income.

Of course, this money was more than enough to pay Chen Daqiang and the other assistants for several months.

...

Lou Lan, the bearded man, woke up on a cot in the corner of the recording studio just past eight in the morning. He yawned, headed to the restroom at the back of the studio, and pulled his toiletries from a cabinet. His entire routine—showering, washing his hair, face, and beard, and brushing his teeth—took less than ten minutes. He stuffed his dirty clothes into a bag and tied it shut.

Looking at the number of bags piled in the cabinet, Lou Lan realized how many days it had been since he’d been home.

He had been living this life of staying in the studio for days on end for years now; he was long since used to it.

Voice actors have it tough, but so do the staff who support them. It’s the same principle as Bear Grylls being a badass, but the cameraman carrying the equipment behind him being a badass too.

"Another all-nighter?"

When he emerged from the back, a team member had already arrived. They had checked the group chat, saw Lou Lan hadn't gone home, and brought him breakfast.

After Meng Fan left yesterday, Lou Lan had organized the files and sent them to the client, then compiled a list of female roles suitable for Meng Fan. After that, voice actors had started arriving, and they’d been at it until past three in the morning.

"I heard your previous order had issues and needed a re-record. You asked Xiao Tian for the female parts, but when she got here, the roles were gone," the colleague asked curiously. "Xiao Tian said you told her Meng Fan took them. Is that for real? Can he actually do female voices?"

Lou Lan nodded while eating his breakfast. "I asked Xiao Tian, she said she couldn't make it, but who knew she’d suddenly have time later? By the time she showed up, Meng Fan had already finished recording."

"He can really do female voices? Does it sound natural?"

"Let me play it for you."

"...Holy crap, he really did that? That’s insane!"

"That’s why I’ve lined up another batch of female roles for him."

"Respect!"

After breakfast, Director Charlie arrived. Lou Lan followed him into his office to present the new batch of female roles for approval. Lou Lan was responsible for some casting, but certain roles still required Charlie’s sign-off.

"Meng Fan?"

Charlie paused, listened to the samples Lou Lan provided, and was equally impressed.

He then asked curiously, "How many roles has he recorded lately?"

Lou Lan did a quick mental calculation and gave him a number.

"That many?!" Charlie fell silent for a moment, then told Lou Lan, "From now on, prioritize him for roles. Let him accumulate experience so he can qualify for the big projects sooner!"

"Oh, right."

Charlie pulled a stack of documents from his bag and handed them to Lou Lan. "This is a new game contract I just signed. Sort through it; Meng Fan can handle most of these roles."

After leaving the office, Lou Lan called Meng Fan, who arrived in about twenty minutes.

"So many roles today?!"

Meng Fan rubbed his hands together, entering the recording booth with excitement.

Before Meng Fan arrived, a voice-acting coach had already shown up. He had been following the roles Lou Lan had organized, and was still pondering the game roles Charlie had just handed over.

"He hasn't even been briefed on the characters yet, is he really this eager?"

The coach had worked with Meng Fan once before and had seen his ability, but he still found this level of intensity unusual.

Lou Lan nodded, thinking to himself that a voice coach was actually quite redundant when it came to the "Iron God." In terms of the ability to fully inhabit a character, Meng Fan was no less capable than this battle-hardened coach.

The facts proved him right. Once Meng Fan stepped into the booth, he had essentially mastered the characters before the coach even finished his briefing. The moment he opened his mouth, he hit the exact tone the coach expected, often far exceeding it.

From ten in the morning until seven in the evening, Meng Fan stayed in the booth, save for bathroom breaks. The voice coach had been swapped out twice, and Lou Lan had even taken a two-hour shift for him, yet Meng Fan remained as energetic as if he’d been injected with adrenaline. His voice was steady, his emotions were stable, and his efficiency and quality remained as divine as ever.

In over eight hours, Meng Fan recorded more than 400 lines, cycling through 37 different characters!

"Done?"

"Done!"

Meng Fan still seemed to have energy to spare, while Lou Lan let out a long breath and slumped into his chair.

Lou Lan had pulled all-nighters before, but he’d never experienced anything as intense as these eight hours with Meng Fan.

When working with other voice actors, he had plenty of opportunities to slack off or take a break, as they often needed time to find their breath, ponder the character, or do test takes. But with Meng Fan, if you lost focus for even a second, you’d fall behind. He was always ready at a moment’s notice!