Chapter 11

Chapter 11 Sang Yu had no idea that Xuan Leron — drenched in sweat on the other side — had made up his mind long ago. Ready to be the shrimp with its head snapped off and eaten whole!

Did he mind? Not even a little! Wouldn't mind being mounted as a specimen either... ahem. Bottom line: what do you call this?

A dream come true! · On the other side, Xi Xingfa was waiting for Sang. Word around the industry was that Aurora Entertainment didn't have a single serious project going.

Everyone figured that Sang guy would play around for a bit, realize reality isn't like his imagination, and toss the company aside. But Xi Xingfa had done his homework.

His goal this time: get a few of his artists into The Demolition Office. If not a few, then at least one. First big move after taking the top seat — good or bad, you need results.

Can't look too mediocre. Playing it safe could stabilize a company in decline, sure. But Xi Xingfa had twenty-plus years of being a son to go on — the old man might actually care more about seeing someone bold enough to go for it.

As the old man's son, he wasn't as favored as he'd imagined. The old man's affection had migrated to the eldest grandson of the first wife.

His mom kept reminding him to perform, to work for the old man's approval — otherwise, would the inheritance go where it should? Xi Xingfa knew that!

But compete — could he actually compete?! One generation of siblings, plus the next generation's kids, not counting anyone unacknowledged outside — already over twenty people!

Several older brothers and sisters nearly twenty years his senior, already deep in the company, holding the key positions. Not much left for him.

His mom wanted Xi Xingfa to start his own business and impress people. Xi Xingfa thought: forget it, better to stand on the shoulders of giants.

Starting from zero? That's just an easier way to crash and burn and become a joke. So Xi Xingfa — who'd rather fail than be mediocre — spotted a kindred spirit and zeroed in on The Demolition Office.

Never mind whether that Sang guy was riding a whim or deliberately playing the algorithm for buzz — either way, the name was out there, right? Domestic Entertainment was declining, but the pie was still massive.

There'd always be a market. The Demolition Office already had its foundation. Perfect time to cut in. Xi Xingfa sat in the car, thinking about the future while scrolling his phone.

Reading the comments under The Demolition Office's official account. It had been officially announced for a while — hype naturally fades — but overall, the staying power was longer than he'd expected.

He had to admit: Sang's moves were genuinely sharp. A while back, Sang bought the rights to fan art — specifically to license the costume designs fans had created for the female lead.

Nobody had done that before. Buy the rights, use them, done. Other productions would rip off original designers' work and only apologize after the original creator noticed and sued.

Get on the train first, buy the ticket later. Fan-created content? Even less consideration. Using it was treated as a given.

The Demolition Office's flexing was ruthless. Three messages sent: one, fan creativity is encouraged; two, original readers are respected; three, goodwill from the internet, earned.

Even artists who hadn't read the source material joined in — because a selected design could actually be produced and appear in the show. Motivation unlocked.

The Demolition Office's reputation was already decent. It was just that most people were watching for the spectacle, mainly using it as a stick to beat Domestic Entertainment with.

In short, nobody was treating The Demolition Office like a real production. But as Sang kept investing in it, each move looked unconventional on the surface — yet every step was solid.

It gave the onlookers confidence. The comment section stopped being just memes. Real discussions took over. Genuine audience demands, straight from the heart. ['I'm a novel reader — you can mess with the romance, but PLEASE don't mess with the plot!'] ['Don't put Chen Le in a luxury apartment cosplaying broke — give him a pigeon-hole subdivided rental, that's the vibe!'] ['Happy with the male lead, pick a good female lead too — Sang Luoling is a cop, doesn't need a real officer but don't cast someone with an obviously surgically altered face'] ...

The heat was real. Xi Xingfa felt even more certain. Sang was around his age. Hopefully the conversation would go smoothly.

The door swung open. In walked Sang Yu, wearing a light hoodie. Weather was getting warm. He'd been a bit restless that morning, so no button-heavy shirt — just a hoodie, loose cropped pants on the bottom.

Xi Xingfa blinked. Eyes swept quickly. Casual look, but put-together. The details — accessories, belt, shoes — told you everything about someone's background.

He could tell Sang Yu wasn't living hand-to-mouth like him. Confirmed on first sight. Right read. In almost no time, Xi Xingfa had mentally ranked them both and locked in his conversational approach.

A full brainstorm fired off in his head, but his mouth didn't miss a beat. 'Sang, first time meeting — I'm Xi Xingfa. Heard a lot about you.' Big smile.

Xi Xingfa extended his hand, posture pitched just right — neither servile nor arrogant, nothing to fault. Sang Yu shook it.

'Good to meet you, Xi. I'm Sang Yu. Sit down.' Sang Yu wasn't one for small talk or verbal maneuvering, so the pleasantries were short.

Xi Xingfa adapted to his pace, laid out his offer — recommend a few artists, no pay required, call it making friends. He'd come prepared on the later end.

Xi Xingfa had researched The Demolition Office. Sang already had 'friends,' but he had one small edge. He could offer a homepage banner on Jinjú, one of the three major streaming platforms — guaranteed The Demolition Office poster on the front page.

Huajing had a digital media arm. Family TV launch screens would also give The Demolition Office the best placement. He didn't believe Sang Yu wouldn't be tempted.

Sang Yu listened, expression unreadable, but still gave credit: 'Xi's serious about this.' Xi Xingfa felt a spark of joy inside, kept his face neutral, played the retreat-to-advance move — even if Sang didn't want a single artist, the resources were still on the table.

Deliberately gave Sang the lead. Sang Yu wanted to see the artist profiles first. Then decide. Same as with others, Sang Yu had stated his terms upfront — suitable casting was fine, but the script stays untouched.

No on-the-fly rewrites, no padding roles. Once on set, everything goes by the script. 'On-the-fly rewrites' was a term Sang Yu had just learned — improvised changes or additions made to the script during filming.

The practice itself is neutral. Sometimes a little extra content helps smooth transitions or set up a beat. But in Domestic Entertainment, it basically meant 'sabotaging the script,' 'padding a supporting role,' or 'shoehorning in ads' — the kind of thing audiences complained about endlessly.

So Sang Yu's position: the script can be revised, but only during the writing phase. Once the crew starts filming, no more changes.

Xi Xingfa of course said yes, accepted! This time, he hadn't just brought profiles — the artists were on standby. If Sang Yu was interested, he could see them in person anytime.

Sang Yu flipped through the profiles. Which roles were still unfilled? Put these people in the last batch, do a group audition.

Save time. · The dinner wrapped up. Xi Xingfa walked out looking flushed and glowing — not a drop of alcohol in him. Back at his place, still buzzing, talking a mile a minute.

His girlfriend couldn't help asking: 'Xingfa, you're putting so much into this show — are you confident? Think it'll blow up when it airs?' 'Not at all!' Xi Xingfa dropped the bomb.

Who dares predict which show will blow up these days? Forget blowing up — even the definition of 'trending' changes every quarter now.

A long-form drama averaging twenty million views per episode used to be called a 'flop.' Now that's 'trending.' The S+ broadcast standard used to be forty million per episode. Now... twenty million is enough.

'Those S-tier shows have a floor, sure, but low risk means low reward. You're drinking broth, and there's barely any to go around.' Huajing had been coasting on old glory.

No flagship artists built up. Didn't get in early when the major platforms were growing the pie. Before the pie was even baked, there was already one round of cuts.

More cuts during baking. More after it was done. Huajing coming in 'late to rise' — that ship had sailed. Better to burn the boats.

Give it a shot! The Demolition Office's weakness: can't air on satellite TV. Its strength: fresh subject matter. Ghosts airing grievances, supernatural phenomena... a show like that might actually be perfect for streaming.

Family and friends watching together on the living room TV. Sang was making it for fun, making it for himself to watch — but Xi Xingfa had followed along the whole way and was sure: Sang was playing a long game.

Follow along and see. · Sang Yu: 'Achoo—!' Chihong Chen startled. Was about to go pour Sang a hot drink when he noticed Assistant Cui had already beaten him to it.

He sat back down, a little sheepish. Sang Yu pressed his fingertip to the tip of his nose, exhaled: 'Chihong Chen, what do you think of Ouyang Changyi?

I think her vibe fits the cop-flower role.' Ouyang Changyi was the female lead Sang Yu had been most optimistic about in the final round of auditions. Also one of the artists Huajing had put forward.

Not just the clean, sharp energy — she was a former ballet dancer, strong core, long lines, looked the part of Sang Luoling. Chihong Chen hesitated: 'She's great, but she's really tall.

170 cm.' At the earlier auditions, Sang wasn't there. The casting director had also flagged the concern about on-screen chemistry, and Chihong Chen had the same worry.

'Standing next to Xiao Xuan, the height difference might not be that obvious.' Sang Yu: 'How tall is Xuan Leron?' '182.' Sang Yu paused: 'That height gap — fine. Chihong Chen, anyone else you're considering?' 'No one who fits perfectly.' Honest answer.

Among all the candidates, Ouyang Changyi had the fewest weaknesses. That's normal. If you could find someone in real life who perfectly matches a fictional character, the author probably had a real person in mind when writing.

Since audiences would be shipping the couple, Chihong Chen was still on the fence. Worried that if the casting was off, audiences wouldn't buy into it — what then?

'Then use her.' Sang Yu smiled, patted Chihong Chen on the shoulder, and said: 'Chihong Chen, remember what I said the day you signed? Don't forget why you started.' Chihong Chen: '...!' Flashed back to the day he'd accidentally stumbled into the big boss's place.

Sang, do your best to restore the original. Chihong Chen: '...' Huffed and agreed. There was something he hadn't said out loud — even though Sang Yu didn't care, Chihong Chen still wanted the show to do well.

Give Sang Yu at least some return on investment. Sang Yu watched Ouyang Changyi's audition tape again. Her on-screen chemistry with Xuan Leron.

'Honestly, not that hard to ship, right?' Both were wearing flats in the audition. Ouyang Changyi had her hair in a clean ponytail, so the height difference wasn't too obvious.

But both performances were smooth. Easy to watch. Seeing Chihong Chen still wrestling with it, Sang Yu said offhandedly: 'Chihong Chen, you created these two leads.

Use your imagination — dig up the ship moments.' Not like you created them from nothing. Besides, the original readers already said they'd accept changes to the romance.

Chihong Chen's eyes lit up at that. Sang was right — he could reach in with the hand of God and manufacture some ship moments.

But how? When he wrote the book, Chihong Chen was a single, awkward guy. As a result, any time the male lead and a female character had a moment, it got weird.

Now he was a functional human being. Looking back at what he'd written, he cringed. But adapting from that base, finding ship moments — one thunderbolt of a concept crashed into his brain.

Female A, male O...?