Chapter 485: Tripartite Cooperation

Chapter 485 Three-Way Partnership

Meng Fan’s sudden injection of thirty million yuan into the animation industry to foster the development of Chinese animation naturally drew widespread praise, particularly from industry insiders and animation enthusiasts, who heartily approved of his three-pronged approach. Of course, in the eyes of many professionals, the thirty million was not the focal point; what truly mattered was Meng Fan's influence, and the sheer weight of his dedication to this cause.

Meng Fan was the only athlete in Chinese history to win five gold medals in a single Olympic Games, the cartoonist who had achieved the greatest success in Japan to date, and the fastest comic artist in China to break ten million copies in tankōbon sales. Standing at the absolute pinnacle of the animation pyramid, his decision to step forward and launch these initiatives—especially the Shanhai Animation Award—carried immense credibility alongside his undeniable influence.

If the most prominent celebrity in the country were to step forward, wave their hand, and declare they were going to fix the animation industry, or if even the most powerful, wealthy, or influential figure did the same, it would be utterly futile; no one would believe them!

The main reason was that people had been burned before. In recent years, no small number of people had stepped up promising to revitalize the animation industry, generating grand spectacles and immense hype with various animation bases and welfare policies. In the end, aside from a few cultural parks in Hangzhou that genuinely meant business, the rest were either incompetent or harbored ulterior motives, resulting in a flurry of scandals where animation parks were used merely as a shell to hoard real estate.

By contrast, Meng Fan commanded far greater public trust, not only among industry professionals and animation enthusiasts but also among the general populace. From his live-streamed drawing sessions to the smashing success of *Shanhai Marvels* in Japan, and now to the release of the *Spirits Underground* animation, anyone with eyes could see that Meng Fan and Shanhai Animation Studio were actually here to do the work, rather than talking a big game and running off with the cash.

Furthermore, Meng Fan's immense earning capacity was a crucial factor. Everyone knew that simply by posing for a few photos and shooting commercials, he could effortlessly pull in over a hundred million yuan a year. If his sole purpose were making money, almost any venture would be better than investing in animation—not to mention that the plans he had proposed were a thankless, uphill battle if handled poorly.

Foolish!

Many people thought Meng Fan was foolish, but it was precisely this touch of foolishness that made him so incredibly rare and admirable.

"Yixin."

Yixin, the editor in charge of all of Meng Fan’s works on Penguin Comic, was called into the editor-in-chief’s office. The chief courteously poured him a cup of water, motioned for him to sit down, and asked, "You and Meng Fan are alumni, and you’ve dealt with him many times. What are your thoughts on the Shanhai Animation Award he mentioned during his live stream?"

Senior Yixin took a small sip of water, guessing the general intent behind the chief’s question and what he wanted to hear. He replied, "From my personal perspective, he is a man who works with absolute earnestness, someone who genuinely loves animation, and a man of his word. Whether his Shanhai Animation Award will ultimately succeed, or what scale and influence it will reach, is something I dare not predict. But I believe he will treat it as a serious endeavor and pursue it with total dedication. In fact, if I may say something slightly inappropriate, the energy he invests in this might very well surpass... what he puts into sports!"

The editor-in-chief propped his elbows on the desk, rubbing his hands together. "Yixin, do you think we have a chance, and is it necessary for us to cooperate with him? Co-hosting the animation award!"

Yixin gave it serious and thorough thought before answering, "It is necessary! There are very few animation awards and festivals in China, and even fewer with any real influence. Frankly speaking, the scale and impact of the current awards do not match the rapidly expanding Chinese animation market. Conversely, the present market urgently requires the emergence of a more authoritative accolade. Although the Shanhai Animation Award is merely a concept pitched at the moment, I have a premonition that it will become a highly prestigious award and will inevitably shape the development of Chinese animation. As the largest comic website in the country, Penguin Comic needs to be a part of this. As for whether we have a chance, I cannot guarantee that."

"Good!"

The editor-in-chief, who had actually made up his mind long ago, slapped the desk in hearty agreement with Yixin’s words. "I also feel it is absolutely necessary. How about this: please take a trip to Hangzhou, convey our intentions to Meng Fan, and see if there is an opportunity for collaboration. As for the mode of cooperation, we can negotiate that slowly. In short, as the largest comic platform in the nation, we must certainly contribute our strength to the Chinese animation exhibition!"

"Should I head to Hangzhou right now...?"

"The sooner the better."

While Penguin Comic claimed to be the largest comic website in the country, Station B held the same view of itself. It likewise felt it was highly necessary to cooperate with Meng Fan on the Shanhai Animation Award, and believed itself to be the perfect fit, given that it had been hosting similar animation awards for several consecutive years—even if their influence had never quite broken past the boundaries of its own platform.

Station B moved even faster, arriving in Hangzhou by the morning after the live stream. Unfortunately, by the time they reached Shanhai Animation Network, Meng Fan had just departed, so the head of the delegation sought out Master Kun. Under normal circumstances, they would have used Master Kun to contact Meng Fan anyway; Master Kun was a veteran content creator on Station B, and many people at the company were well-acquainted with him.

The representatives from Station B did not manage to see Meng Fan until nearly evening, after he finished discussing the student grants and scholarships with the department leaders.

Meanwhile, Senior Yixin had also arrived on behalf of Penguin Comic.

Although these two giants shared some overlapping financial backers behind the scenes and maintained a cooperative relationship, they were mostly fierce competitors. Consequently, the meeting between the two factions was marked by superficial pleasantries, and since both sides knew exactly why the other was there, they secretly wished they could eliminate the competition. Of course, that was from the perspective of corporate interest; on a personal level, most of the representatives sent here were genuine animation enthusiasts—true corporate suits wouldn't dare be dispatched to deal with Meng Fan—and they actually hoped that the three parties, including Shanhai Animation Studio, could cooperate smoothly to launch this award, turning it into a truly authoritative and influential event in China.

Meng Fan had previously let it be known that he accepted both altruistic donations and commercial sponsorships, even welcoming title sponsorships, so he naturally could not back out now. However, negotiating with these two platforms was not as simple as merely choosing whoever offered the most money. Money was important, but it was secondary; what mattered more was the influence and the platform resources these two giants possessed—plainly put, what else they could bring to the table besides cash.

Meng Fan did not separate the two parties to negotiate individually; instead, they all sat down together. Throughout the discussion, he did not fan the flames to trick them into a bidding war. Instead, he guided them to showcase their respective advantages, steering the conversation toward a three-way partnership.

A three-party collaboration was precisely the outcome Meng Fan desired most.

(End of Chapter)