Chapter 238: Sold Out Again

Chapter 238 Sold Out Again

"Ding!"

As Meng Fan finished the 15th character, the system finally confirmed 11 successful takes, hitting the 100-character requirement for the [Studio Bug] mission and completing the third phase of the task.

"Ding! 100 voice-acted characters reached, [Studio Bug] phase three complete; Reward: Points +100, Voice Acting Skill +1."

Lou Lan had prepared 20 characters in total, so the remaining five naturally had to be completed as well.

"Awesome!"

Once finished, Lou Lan habitually checked the time, gave a thumbs-up, and shouted, "666! Iron God, your efficiency is truly unrivaled!"

"Good work."

Meng Fan stepped out of the booth and told Lou Lan, "Recording for 'Nine Heavens' starts tomorrow. I've already spoken to Director Cha; you'll be in charge of my sessions."

Lou Lan beamed, "Understood, consider it done."

Meng Fan offered a reminder: "Get some good rest tonight. Keep your energy up; my pace might be quite demanding."

Lou Lan patted his chest: "I've got a handle on it."

Meng Fan thought for a moment and smiled: "I hope you really do."

...

At nine in the evening, Meng Fan went live.

He had posted an announcement earlier that afternoon.

A crowd was already waiting before he even started. At nine, they refreshed their pages, seeing Meng Fan in the stream and noting the current viewer count.

"So many people?"

Meng Fan saw the viewer count surpass one hundred thousand shortly after starting, and it was still climbing rapidly. He knew exactly why.

This was his first stream since the incident where he beat up the Korean star, and his first public appearance since.

Many had been camping out after seeing his announcement. The usual regulars were there, of course, but they were joined by new fans gained from the incident and curious bystanders looking for a spectacle.

And, naturally, the media who couldn't corner him in person.

"Boss Meng is a legend!"

"666!"

"Fatty Meng is mighty!"

"The Iron God has arrived; those who aren't tough enough, stay back!"

"Iron God? Haha, isn't that nickname a bit too hardcore?"

"The strongest brawler in the streaming world is here!!"

"Iron Tower is a real man, Fatty Meng is a real man! You did what I've wanted to do my whole life but never dared!"

"Boss Meng truly respects women and protects them; that's what a real man is!"

"What kind of divine luck do I have to have become a fan of such a man through his art?"

"Host, do you have anything to say about beating up the Korean star?"

"Host, can you tell us what was going through your mind at the time?"

"Host, did you know the fan who was being hit?"

"Host, after the fight was exposed, so many people online were cursing you; why didn't you come out to clarify?"

"Host, did you know Park Jae-hae before this?"

"Host, can you tell us specifically what happened?"

"Host, what happened after you hit Park Jae-hae?"

"Host, it's rumored you were with Bai Zhi and Su Qingcen at the time; is that true?"

"Host, can we schedule an exclusive interview with you?"

"Host, may I ask..."

The fans' comments were mostly cheers, while the bystanders and media were focused on questions.

Meng Fan saw the messages, of course, but there were too many to read, and he had no intention of answering them—not for the media, the strangers, or even the fans.

"Before we start today, please allow me to run a quick ad."

He took out two volumes of "A Guide for Campus Romance" and held them up to the camera. "The second volume of 'A Guide for Campus Romance' has been published, and the first volume has been reprinted. They are already available on DD Books; here is the link... or you can just search for 'A Guide for Campus Romance' or Meng Fan."

Setting the books down, Meng Fan added, "The story is finished, and the third volume will be out soon. Also, the second volume of 'Spirits Underground' will be hitting shelves shortly..."

After finishing his pitch, Meng Fan finally said, "I know many of you are waiting for me to talk about the fight the other day. Honestly, there's nothing to say. All the details are in the videos already circulating online."

He adjusted the camera, framed the two volumes, took out his drawing paper, and said, "I'm going to draw manga now. I won't be responding to anything else. Everyone can move along."

Just as he was about to put pen to paper, he saw several comments saying the books were already sold out.

"Sold out?"

Meng Fan checked the DD Books site, and sure enough, they were gone. He checked his [Professional Manga Artist] sales experience, which had jumped to over 68,000. That included 10,000 copies of the two "Campus Romance" volumes and over 48,000 of "Spirits Underground"—with only a thousand or so left in physical stores.

He called Qin Jiu.

Qin Jiu: "Yeah, they're sold out. Are you streaming? It happened around eight o'clock. The publisher and distributors called me, but I hadn't had a chance to tell you yet."

"Ah? And here I am, begging people to buy them!"

"DD Books seems to be using the slogan 'The Iron Tower's Real Man Portrays Delicate Love,' so they flew off the shelves. You have to admit, your name carries weight. I've already ordered a reprint of 5,000 copies each, and the first print run for the third volume has been bumped up to 8,000."

Understanding the situation, Meng Fan explained it to his viewers, held a giveaway for signed copies of the first and second volumes along with a bonus illustration, and began to draw.

As he worked, Meng Fan hummed and chatted as usual, though he occasionally swapped his natural voice for various interesting or famous ones.

Many of the bystanders who had come for the drama stayed, finding his stream genuinely entertaining. His speed and artistic skill went without saying, but the real draw was the unpredictability—you never knew whose voice would come out of his mouth next.

As for the media, seeing that Meng Fan truly wouldn't address the fight, they eventually drifted away.

He ended the stream at 11:00 PM. Within fifteen minutes of starting, the viewer count had topped a million, though it dropped once they realized he wouldn't comment. Still, over 400,000 remained, a solid retention of new viewers.

Including tonight, Meng Fan's total stream views had reached over 88 million, leaving him about 11 million short of his 100 million goal.

He kept drawing after the stream, went for a run the next morning, and put in another hour of work before heading to the chocolate factory.

At 8:30 AM, he began officially recording for the protagonist, Luo Hao, in the "Nine Heavens" animation.

Meng Fan, the director, and the voice coach had decided the character's voice should be like "morning sunlight"—fitting the original work and the manga, aiming for a sense of comfort. Of course, in specific scenes, he would need to be soulful, domineering, fierce, and more—all part of a voice actor's duty.

A voice shapes a character; beyond breathing life into them, it gives them an identity, so that the moment one hears it, they immediately think of that character.

Having rested well, Lou Lan quickly understood what Meng Fan meant by "I hope you really do" the day before.

Thanks to "I Changed My Name Again lol" for the 10,000-point tip! Thanks to Fuchen_AA, Piaoyucanyi, Amber24Gold, SmileInfectingCornerOfTheMouth, WineUnderTheSunset, BookFriend170706064317797, Luelueluelueluelue, The666666thTime, WangGuWeiJi_qb, MyFreedom, AnnualSalary50Million, Amber24Gold, DemonGift, ChuiLan, FeatherStarSand, FightingBeauty, DyeColorBody, CatReadingBooks, SkyWolf%, HighToDeath, RoarOfTheWind, IDidntSayYou, Fuchen_AA_XinZhiNingShen, JieTao, CatReadingBooks, PlayingTheZitherSolo, LyingForSevenDays, clyed, CatReadingBooks, HeyLoneliness, BookFriend20170824102658862, BugBiaoObsessedWithBooks, SilentWaitAuditoryHallucination, PantyMaskedHero, and other book friends for their tips!

(End of chapter)