Chapter Fifty-Nine: Astonished Beyond Measure

Chen Qi didn’t give much thought to the brief episode at the post-production company. After signing the supplemental agreement, he returned to his directing duties without a second thought. As for the general manager’s mention of future collaborations, he’d merely responded with a few polite platitudes. The future could wait; it was far too early for such talk.

“Here, add another subtitle to the opening—say that this episode is exclusively sponsored by Chen Qi Studio,” he instructed.

“This episode is specially presented by Future Films.”

“This episode is secretly broadcasted by the director himself!”

“Wait, let me add a voice-over. That’ll make it seem more professional.”

The staff, mouths twitching, followed his requests, adding the subtitles and voice-overs as he directed. Although they found it all a bit unbelievable, they couldn’t deny that these additions actually made the episodes more entertaining. The already amusing series became even more fun to watch.

They had grown to admire him. Only after meeting him these past few days did they realize that films and TV series could be made in such a way. It all seemed so enjoyable. Even as industry insiders, they found themselves amazed by what they saw.

Amidst this constant flurry of activity, after two more days, all ten episodes of “Never Expected” were finally completed. Chen Qi brought the copies straight to Future Films at the earliest opportunity.

Xu Bunian was surprised by how quickly Chen Qi had finished post-production. By his calculations, from preparation to shooting to completing post-production, the whole process had taken barely half a month. This speed was almost unbelievable! Only someone with some understanding of the film industry wouldn’t mistake this for the norm.

“Let me take a look,” Xu Bunian said eagerly, unable to suppress his curiosity any longer. He’d been waiting so long—he was desperate to see what Chen Qi had created.

“Never expected, la la la la la…”

“This episode is exclusively sponsored by Chen Qi Studio.”

“The Yangtze’s waves push ever forward, and Chen Qi Studio will surely become the highest wave one day.”

A most unconventional opening.

Yet, at that last sentence, Xu Bunian couldn’t help but twitch his lips. Such shameless words... Oh well, he was getting used to it.

As Wang Dachui’s face appeared on the screen, Xu Bunian decided not to fuss over these details and focused all his attention on the story.

“My name is Wang Dachui…”

“…that was the youth I’ve lost.”

The first five-minute episode passed quickly.

When it ended, Xu Bunian was so amazed he nearly jumped out of his seat. It felt as if he’d opened a door to a whole new world! The story, the wild imagination, the unique way of presenting it all… How did he come up with this?

Xu Bunian was truly astonished. The plot seemed simple, but honestly, he didn’t have that kind of imagination. For someone used to conventional dramas, this offbeat approach was like a fresh breeze—startling in the best possible way!

He stared in awe at the paused frame on the screen, needing a long moment to calm his racing thoughts. Then he glanced at Chen Qi, who sat on the nearby sofa, absorbed in his phone, paying him no mind at all.

Taking a deep breath, Xu Bunian opened the second episode. Then the third, the fourth, the fifth... He watched all ten episodes in one sitting, including the opening and closing credits, scarcely missing a frame.

When he finished, he too fell silent. Just like the general manager at the post-production company, he was quiet for a long time. Outwardly calm, inwardly he was in turmoil.

He was shaken all over again—this time even more so than when he’d first seen Chen Qi’s work at KUKU Mobile. If he hadn’t known every step of the project, from preparation to post-production, he’d never believe that this had all been completed in just half a month.

It was terrifying! If someone else had claimed such a feat, no one would believe it, not even if it took half a year.

But what excited him most wasn’t just that.

He couldn’t even count how many roles Chen Qi had played in this series. All the scripts were his. He directed every episode. He composed the music. Even post-production was all his work. In short, this series was practically a one-man creation.

Even though he’d already witnessed Chen Qi’s multi-talented abilities back at Blueprint, seeing it again left him stunned.

At that moment, he felt incredibly grateful for his decision to resign from his old job. It might have been the wisest choice he’d ever made.

Only now did he realize what a favor Chen Qi had done by letting him invest ten thousand yuan just to put his name on the project.

Once his emotions had settled, Xu Bunian stood up and walked over to Chen Qi.

“I’ve finished watching,” he said.

“Oh? Right…” Chen Qi looked up, discretely pressing the power button on his phone to hide the information on the screen.

He’d been researching the world’s video streaming platforms. Now that the series was complete, the next step was to sell it. But to whom, and how, was another question.

From his brief research, the state of video platforms here was much like on Earth—two giants, called YouYou Video and Simple Video, dominated the market. There were a few other platforms, but their presence was negligible.

This put Chen Qi in a bit of a dilemma. Logically and from a business standpoint, selling “Never Expected” to a major platform would be ideal. With its storyline and quality, unless their acquisition teams were utterly clueless, he ought to secure a good price.

But… where was the fun in that?

After all, he was someone with a “disruption system.” Why follow conventional thinking? Besides, he wasn’t short on money—why bother with commercial logic? Wouldn’t partnering with a smaller platform be more exciting?

“Do you have a sequel planned?” Xu Bunian asked, taking a seat beside him.

Chen Qi paused, then shook his head. “Probably not.”

“Never Expected” had only ever been intended as his entrée into the entertainment industry, not as an ongoing project.

Xu Bunian hesitated, then asked, “How did you do it?”

“Huh?” Chen Qi looked at him blankly.

Xu Bunian pointed to the computer. “How did you finish all this in just half a month?”

“Oh, that,” Chen Qi replied with a smile, spinning a quick tale. “I actually wrote the scripts back in university. Don’t underestimate these ten episodes—they took me quite a while, on and off.”

“You wrote them in college?” Xu Bunian blinked in surprise.

“Yeah. I wrote them for fun back then—never thought they’d actually be filmed.”

“Ah.” Xu Bunian nodded, looking as if it all made sense now. If that was the case, it was far more believable. Otherwise, it’d be outrageous to write, shoot, and edit so much in just two weeks.

Chen Qi glanced at him and subtly shifted the topic. “Don’t be fooled by the ten episodes in two weeks. If you look at the total runtime, it’s about the same as a single episode of a typical drama. So if you think about it, I only shot the equivalent of one episode in half a month—pretty slow, actually.”

“Hmm?” Xu Bunian considered and realized he had a point.

“So, what’s your plan? Have you decided who to sell it to?” he asked.

“No,” Chen Qi shook his head. “Do you know anyone at the streaming platforms?”

“Of course. In any business tied to advertising, I know a few people.” Xu Bunian eyed him. “Planning to sell to one of the big platforms?”

“I’ll try reaching out and see what happens.”

“How much are you hoping to get per episode?” Xu Bunian was curious.

Chen Qi shook his head. “No idea. What do you think it’s worth?”

Xu Bunian pondered, then said, “Honestly, it’s a great series, but it’s just too short. Each episode is only five minutes, and there are only ten. Plus, the director and actors are all unknowns. It’ll be hard to get a high price, especially from the big platforms.”

Chen Qi nodded thoughtfully. That actually made sense. Major platforms weren’t lacking in short series like his, which totaled less than an hour. And, since big platforms knew newcomers wanted exposure, they’d likely drive a hard bargain. For others, just getting homepage or pop-up recommendations would be enough—even for free—since popularity could lead to fame, and fame to money.

“It’s fine. I’ll try negotiating with them,” Chen Qi said, not the least bit concerned. Whatever the price, he’d talk to them first.

“Alright,” Xu Bunian agreed, pulling out his phone to make a call. “I’ll help you set up a meeting.”

“Don’t contact them,” Chen Qi quickly stopped him. “I’ll reach out to their acquisition departments myself.”

“???” Xu Bunian was puzzled. Why not use his connections? His contacts could at least get a manager involved and maybe secure a better price.

“No, don’t,” Chen Qi insisted, pressing down on his phone. “If you call now and I don’t end up selling to them, things could get awkward.”

“That’s just business…”

“No, no, no,” Chen Qi waved his hands. “Let me talk to them first. If it doesn’t work out, we’ll consider your contacts.”

Seeing how persistent he was, Xu Bunian relented.

Chen Qi glanced at the clock—it was already past four in the afternoon. It was too late to visit now.

Xu Bunian also checked the time and then stood up. “I’ll take the episodes for approval. Can you call Zhao Wu and Bai Xiaoke for me?”

Chen Qi paused and smiled. “You’ve made up your mind?”

“I have,” Xu Bunian nodded. “They’re really talented, and I don’t want to waste the opportunity. I need people anyway, so I shouldn’t miss out.”

“You mean everyone? Sign them all?”

“Yes!” Xu Bunian said enthusiastically. “Cinematographer, stylist, makeup artist, lighting—sign them all. That way, I’ll have my own core team.”

Chen Qi laughed. “Alright, I’ll give them a call. But you handle the negotiations—I’ll stay out of it.”