Xia Changlong was overjoyed to see the movie he invested in become a hit! The crew of "Green Apple" were even happier!

Song Qi hasn't even graduated yet, but she's already received numerous offers for special effects production, making it impossible for her to choose! What can she do if she doesn't have enough manpower?

“Let’s expand! We can bring in as many people as possible who worked on ‘Time Warrior’. We can sign separate contracts with them, so they won’t be unwilling to benefit from it,” Yang Yajing told Song Qi.

Song Qi isn't good at business, but Yang Yajing is! This way, not only will it not increase the daily production costs of "Green Apple," but it will also bring all the works under the studio's umbrella. How great is that?

"What if they open their own studio?" Song Qi still had a question.

"The most famous one is 'Green Apple,' and the orders are in your hands, Song Qi. If they want to open a studio, let them open one. If they can't get any business, they'll still come back to you." Yang Yajing wasn't worried at all.

Because reality is so cruel, the film and television industry only knows the name "Green Apple". Even if those people claim to have participated in the production of "Time Warrior", they will not receive much favor.

Moreover, good production requires good vision; technology is merely an aid. Song Qi's vision and ability as a director are the key to making "Green Apple" such a film.

This is the difference between a special effects technician and a special effects director.

With Yang Yajing's explanation, Song Qi felt much more at ease. While reviewing the scripts and selecting promising works, she also recruited people from the previous production to participate, and the studio was thriving.

With the box office revenue recovered from "Time Warrior," there was no need to owe anyone production fees and wait for a share of the box office. Those classmates, who had just graduated and had no income, readily agreed.

Anyway, following Song Qi means I'll have food to eat, so it's not a loss.

Finding a job on your own often means being relegated to menial tasks and getting mistreated, so it's better to be a freelancer and gain some experience before looking for a job.

Young people aren't as enthusiastic about stability as the older generation. They're all from all over the country who came to Jincheng to study and work hard; for them, hard work and perseverance are the true path to success.

Moreover, having participated in the production of "Time Warriors," they themselves received a significant share of the box office revenue. Having tasted success, they were financially secure enough to live comfortably for at least a year without working, so they had nothing to worry about.

Because this group of people were originally students from all over the country, except for a few who rented Yang Yajing's property, the others rented houses after graduation, some of which were quite far away.

This film studio is temporary; the land will have to be reclaimed sooner or later. Song Qi won't be directing his own films anytime soon. Yang Yajing told Song Qi to invest in a studio in the western district.

She bought the land through Xia Changlong's connections, and construction took only about a year. Yang Yajing proposed building not only a film studio and workshops on the vacant land, but also dormitories and guesthouses.

"Why build dormitory buildings?" Song Qi asked, puzzled.

“Song Qi, if you want to cooperate with these people long-term, you need to secure their livelihoods.” Yang Yajing wasn’t afraid of Song Qi calling her cunning. “They’re all renting apartments. You have an apartment here, and the rent is included in the contract. There are no transportation costs, only utilities. Are you worried they won’t work hard for you to save money?”

"Yang Yajing, you're thinking really far ahead!" Song Qi thought Yang Yajing was too good at business.

"People are inherently lazy; once they're comfortable, they don't want to change. If you provide them with convenience, you won't have to worry about them not following your lead and saving them effort." Yang Yajing knew that those people were just like Song Qi—dumbfounded individuals who only knew about artistic special effects and had no sense of everyday life.

When building the dormitories, Yang Yajing designed all the houses as one-bedroom apartments with a living room, a small living room with a balcony, and a south-facing room.

What single professional wouldn't love an eight-story, fully furnished apartment building with an elevator? No rent, work nearby, and a cafeteria at a guesthouse—isn't this a paradise for graduates?

It's only January now, and when they graduate in July, finding a place to live will be inevitable.

If I can move into the studio apartment by the end of next year, wouldn't that mean I'll finally have a place to settle down?

It's hard to get a Jincheng household registration. Once you have a local job contract and a place to live, getting a household registration is just a matter of time.

There are also a few who want to take the postgraduate entrance exam to become teachers. It sounds wonderful to be able to study for a master's degree while also earning an income.

That same January, Zhou Pengfei received the award for the competition he participated in.

Because the awards ceremony was being broadcast live from the auditorium, no one knew whether they had won or not, and Zhou Pengfei appeared somewhat nervous.

At the awards ceremony, Yang Yajing, Zhou Pengfei, and Chen Jiaoyun sat at the same table, with their families also present.

The two families had met a few times and were quite familiar with each other, chatting happily.

The awards were announced from lowest to highest. Chen Jiaoyun and Zhou Pengfei were both hoping that their names wouldn't be announced too early and also hoping that their names wouldn't be omitted.

Because it was an international award, the award ceremony was connected across five continents, with five large screens displaying the live feed from each auditorium.

But almost all the moving was done, and Zhou Pengfei and Chen Jiaoyun's names still hadn't appeared.

Chen Jiaoyun was alright; she was easygoing. But Zhou Pengfei's palms were clenched tightly, and a thin layer of sweat had formed on them.

When the organizers announced the ten winners of the Excellence Award, their names were still not among them. Zhou Pengfei wondered if the award was off.

"Now, we announce the bronze award winner." The host handed the podium to a guest, who opened the envelope and announced, "The bronze award winner is China's rising star, Chen Jiaoyun! Congratulations!"

"Ah! Jiaoyun! It's you! Congratulations!" Yang Yajing clapped her hands.

Chen Jiaoyun went on stage to accept the award, smiling broadly.

The silver award went to an American illustrator who was somewhat well-known, which made Zhou Pengfei even more worried.

"Now, let's announce the gold medal winner."

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!