I tried several times, but the Chongqing TV website was so laggy that I couldn't access it at all.
As a result, the four of them stared at the constantly refreshing webpage for almost 20 minutes before the "Unable to connect to the server" window popped up again, by which time both episodes of Tom and Jerry had already finished playing.
Jiang Xia couldn't help but sigh. He had come to the internet cafe full of anticipation to watch the premiere, but he never expected it to turn out like this. Even he, the animation producer, couldn't see it. If he had known this would happen, he would have been better off watching TV at home.
"So, the premiere of Tom and Jerry has ended?" Wang Ming asked, still somewhat unwilling to give up.
“That’s right.” Jiang Xia nodded helplessly.
Each episode of Tom and Jerry is about seven minutes long. Including the five-minute commercial break, it's 7:20 now, and even if there's a TV in front of you, you can't watch it anymore; the cartoon has just ended.
Wang Ming closed the browser with a disappointed look. He was one of only two artists for Tom and Jerry, and he felt very bad that he couldn't see his work being shown immediately.
"It's alright, the website server crashed, which only means that the audience for Tom and Jerry is much larger than we thought, and the ratings will definitely not be low. In a way, our animation has been a great success," Jiang Xia comforted her.
Just as he finished speaking, his phone rang again. It was Zhou Lu, the editor of the children's channel, calling again.
The four people looked at each other, feeling a little nervous, wondering whether she had come to bring good news or bad news.
Jiang Xia hesitated for a few seconds before answering the phone and pressing the speakerphone button. As soon as the call connected, she heard a cheerful laugh coming from the receiver.
"Mr. Jiang, did you watch the premiere of Tom and Jerry? What did you think?"
"Editor Zhou, not to be rude, but your website's server needs an upgrade. Too many people are watching at once, and it's impossible to log in," he said helplessly.
"Hahaha, I heard from my colleague in charge of the network that the website does seem to have crashed. It's a real shame that Mr. Jiang didn't get to see the premiere."
Zhou Lu described the phenomenal scene with a smile: "The viewership rating jumped to 2% right from the start, and then it soared all the way up, breaking through 6% from the second episode onwards, and finally stabilizing at around 7.8%. You should know what that means, right?"
Jiang Xia took a deep breath and looked at the other three, seeing the excitement in their eyes.
With a viewership rating of 7.8%, it can be confirmed that it is the top-rated show in Chongqing this year.
"It's a hit!" he said emphatically.
"Yes, it's a hit. I never imagined that a short animation could defeat so many high-quality TV dramas and create a ratings miracle in recent years. And this is just the first episode." Zhou Lu said in disbelief, looking at the brightly lit TV station building.
It's foreseeable that after today, comments about Tom and Jerry will spring up like mushrooms after rain, and they will be overwhelmingly positive. When it airs tomorrow night at 7 PM, the show's ratings, which have been building up overnight, are expected to increase even further.
"I didn't expect that either. I thought 4% would be the highest I could achieve," Jiang Xia said, unable to suppress his laughter.
"Facts have proven that the eyes of the people are discerning, and excellent works will never be buried, which is why Tom and Jerry were able to soar to great heights!" Zhou Lu complimented without any reservations.
In any case, a young and talented animator is someone she should go to great lengths to befriend.
"Then Editor Zhou is the discerning eye who recognizes a fine horse," Jiang Xia complimented.
Zhou Lu chuckled softly, "I wouldn't dare call myself a talent scout; I was just lucky to have been appreciated by Boss Jiang. Alright, I won't disturb Boss Jiang's celebration any longer. I still need to hurry up and write out the article to properly praise why Tom and Jerry succeeded."
"Hahaha, then Editor Zhou, you'll have to get back to work now. See you later."
After hanging up the phone, cheers erupted throughout the private room. Even though Jiang Xia and Lin Yanwan knew what was going on because of their rebirth, they were still too excited to contain themselves.
With such high viewership ratings on its premiere, Qitian Animation Company has firmly established itself in the animation industry.
With the golden brand of Tom and Jerry, even if Jiang Xia only produces Tom and Jerry animation in the future, he might become extremely wealthy by relying on various copyright fees.
A few minutes later, Jiang Xia took a few deep breaths to gradually calm his excited emotions.
"Baby, have you withdrawn the money?" he asked his wife.
"Of course." Lin Yanwan took two envelopes out of her handbag and handed them to Jiang Xia.
He felt the thickness of the envelopes and then handed them to Wang Ming and Shen Ying respectively. Now that the ratings had exploded, it was time to reward those who had contributed.
"Thank you both for your hard work this past month."
Wang Ming blinked at him: "Salary? Or bonus?"
"You're already thinking about bonuses the animation has only just started airing?" Jiang Xia laughed and scolded, "But don't worry, work hard, your salary will increase, and you'll get bonuses too."
"You said it yourself! If you don't, I'll get mad at you!"
Wang Ming accepted the envelope without hesitation, opened it on the spot, and started counting. There were ten brand-new hundred-dollar bills, and they were even consecutive numbers.
"Wait, wasn't the agreed salary only seven hundred? How come they gave us a thousand?"
"The extra amount is for the hard work of working overtime every day during this period." Jiang Xia smiled slightly. "After a while, once we monetize the fame of Tom and Jerry, this number can increase several times over."
Hearing this, Shen Ying felt a surge of joy. Her previous shameless begging to Jiang Xia to take her in was indeed the right decision.
Earning 1,000 yuan in less than a month after graduation is unimaginable for a recent graduate. Even a top student like Chen Yao only earns 500 yuan a month as a network administrator.
With the immense popularity of Tom and Jerry, Qitian Animation, as a fledgling company, has immeasurable potential. Its achievements are truly remarkable. As long as it works hard and relies on Jiangxia's support, its future success is just around the corner.
"As long as it makes me money, I'll do whatever the boss says in the future!"
"Really? Well then, I'll say it." Jiang Xia looked at the two of them with a smile: "Before the start of the semester in September, could you expedite the production of the second episode of Tom and Jerry's video?"
"12 episodes in 2 months?" Wang Ming frowned. "The timeline is a bit tight."
"I have finished drawing the storyboards for episodes 13 and 14, and I have also drawn most of the storyboards for episode 15."
Jiang Xia put his arm around his shoulder and winked, saying, "Why don't we give it a try? Everyone should give it their all and do as much as they can. I just want to get the second season of Tom and Jerry on TV before school starts."
"Alright, I'll give it a try." Wang Ming breathed a sigh of relief. He could use this busy opportunity to get out of the shadow of heartbreak.
"Then it's settled!"
Jiang Xia couldn't help but reveal a smug smile. He had managed to get two people to work overtime for him with just a thousand yuan. This deal was incredibly profitable.
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