After dinner, Fang Yang sat in the hammock and let his mind wander. The system had been upgraded yesterday, but he hadn't had time to check it out. Now that he had some time, he decided to take a look at what changes had been made to the upgraded system.

First, Fang Yang noticed something different in the lottery area: the prizes had increased by 5% in terms of film and television works, and the popularity points required for one lottery draw had increased from 10,000 to 100,000. Second, the system shop had opened, and Fang Yang found many classic songs and film and television works that were popular throughout the country in his previous life, but they were very expensive. At least with Fang Yang's current popularity points, he couldn't buy more than two songs.

Fang Yang sighed. Popularity points were still so difficult to obtain. Fang Yang still didn't know how popularity points were calculated. Considering the system's nature, he decided to give up. He had no desire to participate in the lottery now and was about to exit the system when a cold, mechanical voice rang out, "Host's popularity points have reached 50 million. Reward: Basic Director Function."

A flood of familiar memories rushed into Fang Yang's mind, and he quickly grasped some basic camera control knowledge. If he were to go out and do some video recording and design for others, he would have some confidence, although it wouldn't be of much use, it was better than nothing.

Emptying his mind and gazing at the sunset painting the sky with vibrant colors on the shimmering sea, Fang Yang felt an urge to paint. He wanted to capture it all in a painting and then inscribe it with "A Record of Climbing the Bund," which would surely elevate his artistic level.

Without a moment's delay, Fang Yang ran back to his study, grabbed his easel, canvas, rice paper, brushes, and ink, and returned to the rooftop. First, he selected a location. Fang Yang discovered that after mastering the basic director's skills, his ability to select locations had improved significantly, and he had developed some more unique insights into the interplay of light and shadow.

After setting up the easel and canvas and laying out the Xuan paper, Fang Yang began to paint. He started with the foreground, which needed to be clear and had higher requirements. Then he gradually transitioned to the background. The painting didn't focus on many elements, mainly the sea and the sunset. Then, he painted a corner of the roof of Fang Yang's house, recreating the scene of Wang Jin and Zhao Liang talking happily while facing the sunset.

An hour later, Fang Yang finally finished painting. Taking advantage of the last bit of light, he wrote "A Record of Climbing the Bund" in a corner of the painting, added his name, and then smiled with satisfaction. The painting was perfect, at least in Fang Yang's opinion, given his master-level painting skills.

After tidying up the scene, Fang Yang let the cool breeze blow on him for a while before returning to his study to let the painting air dry naturally. Fang Yang planned to frame it tomorrow and then upload it to the website. Tonight, he would continue painting "Gourd".

The next day, Fang Yang did his usual ten-pull draw, then washed up and made breakfast. When he had some free time, he was able to check his day's haul. Not bad, he got the song "I Am a Wolf from the North," the beginner photography skill, and an intermediate cooking skill—a very rewarding day.

Fang Yang's cooking skills are average, mainly because he was poor in his previous life and often cooked for himself, saving a dollar or two per meal. Now he eats three meals a day at home, so having intermediate cooking skills would be ideal, as it would allow him to have more variety to satisfy his appetite.

Fang Yang plans to record the song "I Am a Wolf from the North" a few days after the recording studio is completed. The Black Panther Band will be there then, and the accompaniment will be ready for recording.

Nothing else to do, let's hurry up and colorize "Calabash." A third of the content for "Calabash" has already been drawn and released. Once it's all online and we have some free time, Fang Yang plans to acquire an animation production company. Now that the system can purchase film and television works, Fang Yang plans to produce several animated films. After all, producing animated films is relatively inexpensive, and judging from the performance of "Calabash" since its release, the gains, both in terms of money and popularity, have been substantial.

At dinner, Fang Yang cooked a few extra dishes. Yang Huajin rushed over as soon as he got off work because he had something to discuss, so Fang Yang invited Yang Huajin to stay for dinner. He also specially opened a bottle of Shaoxing rice wine that his father had left behind. Fang Yang had bought a few hairy crabs that day, so he made it convenient for Yang Huajin as well.

During the meal, Yang Huajin praised Fang Yang's cooking skills. Yang Huajin had never eaten Fang Yang's cooking before, but after eating it today, he found that his cooking skills were quite remarkable, even surpassing those of ordinary chefs. The hairy crabs retained their original flavor and were incredibly fragrant, and the stir-fries also showed the style of a master chef.

Fang Yang was unimpressed; it was just intermediate-level cooking skills. However, compared to yesterday's cooking, Fang Yang felt there had been significant improvement. After the meal, while Fang Yang was washing the dishes, Yang Huajin looked around. It was the first time Yang Huajin had visited Fang Yang's home since his father's death.

It was clear that the house was kept very tidy; the floors were gleaming, and the coffee table and TV cabinet were spotless. Behind the sofa, on the wall, Yang Huajin noticed something different: a painting depicting two figures conversing in the shimmering light of the setting sun, their faces bathed in its glow. In the distance, the waves surged, the sun casting a rainbow of colors on the sea, and figures moved about in the tides, splashing water. In the upper right corner of the painting, the title "A Record of Climbing the Bund" was written in the elegant, thin-gold script, followed by Fang Yang's signature and the date.

Without a doubt, this was painted by Fang Yang himself. The painting vividly depicts the poem "The sunset is infinitely beautiful, but it is near dusk." Yang Huajin, as the former editor-in-chief of Yuewen Reading Website, has a certain level of literary skill. Upon seeing this painting, one can immediately tell that his skill is quite profound, approaching that of a well-known contemporary painter.

At this moment, Fang Yang came out of the kitchen after drying his hands. Seeing Yang Huajin standing quietly by the painting admiring it, he smiled and said, "Uncle Yang, this painting is alright, isn't it? It was just framed at noon today. I think this living room is a bit lacking in charm, so I hung it up to make it less monotonous."

Yang Huajin sighed, "Xiao Yang, I never expected you to have such a talent. The painting skills are first-rate, and the artistic conception is first-rate. It is indeed a rare masterpiece!"

Fang Yang lit the fire to boil water and asked Yang Huajin with a smile, "Uncle Yang, is there something urgent that you came here today? Actually, you only need to make a phone call and I'll be there in less than twenty minutes."

Yang Huajin waved his hand, "It's not anything urgent. I came to see you. I didn't expect you to have the house so well organized. I feel relieved. But you're home alone. You should go out more often. Staying home alone for too long might make you feel unwell."

Fang Yang smiled and said, "Thank you for your concern, Uncle Yang. I'm so busy every day that I can barely breathe. Once the company is on track, things will be better. I'm afraid I won't even have time to go home anymore."

Yang Huajin shook his head, "No matter what, you should always balance work and rest. Your health is the most important thing. In particular, don't stay up late. Now that the website's overall traffic has increased, you still need to relax appropriately. It's okay if you don't update as frequently."

Fang Yang smiled and didn't argue. Yang Huajin meant well, so he asked, "Uncle Yang, what are your thoughts on the current animation market?"

Yang Huajin shook his head: "I don't know much about the overall market, but in Shanghai, the market is generally sluggish. Many small studios have closed down in the past two years, and even larger companies are having a hard time, barely making ends meet. A friend of mine who also works in animation is also struggling to survive and is considering closing down and going bankrupt."

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