Abstract Art Award Winner

"Alright, alright, I got it, I'm hanging up now." Wang Sicong seemed uninterested, and ended the call after a few perfunctory words.

Zhou Le shook his head and put down his phone. Zhou Ye blinked beside him: "Is Principal Wang... a little depressed?"

"Who cares? There are some minefields we can't touch," Zhou Le said casually, continuing with his work.

Unexpectedly, Wang Sicong called again the next day, his tone completely different from the day before, carrying a hint of helplessness and relief.

"Zhou Le, holy crap, guess what?"

"what happened?"

“I told my dad what you said yesterday, and guess what? He gave me a good scolding! He said I'm over thirty and I don't see things as clearly as you! He told me to spend more time with people like you and stop hanging out with those shady friends all the time! He even said there are good projects we can work on together!”

Zhou Le chuckled: "Uncle Wang, you flatter me. I was just saying it offhand."

“You were just saying it casually, but my dad took it seriously.” Wang Sicong sighed. “But he’s right. I need to really work on my career. Although it looks glamorous, some of my mom’s relatives probably still think I’m just a spoiled brat who’s relying on my dad, and that’s not quite right.”

Zhou Le expressed his understanding: "It's only human nature. Everyone wants to be recognized. It's good to do something practical together."

"Yeah... Hey, I got another call, I have to hang up now, talk to you later." Wang Sicong seemed to be called by someone and quickly hung up the phone.

Just after ending his call with Wang Sicong, Zhou Le's phone rang again. This time it was one of the bosses of Youke Interactive.

"Mr. Zhou, I'm sorry to bother you." The other person sounded a little embarrassed. "Um... that investment we made before... well... it's almost used up again, what do you think..."

Zhou Le asked almost without hesitation: "How much do you need? Just tell me the number, and I'll arrange to transfer it as soon as possible."

The other party quoted a number, then quickly added, "Mr. Zhou, rest assured, we will definitely be careful with our budget! The new project is progressing smoothly, but to achieve the expected results, we do need more funds and time..."

Zhou Le interrupted him: "Don't worry about the money. Since I've invested, I trust you. I just have one question: when do you expect it to launch?"

"We're doing our best, but we expect... we expect the earliest we can get it is 2024. The quality requirements are too high, and there are many areas that need improvement."

"2024 is fine, no problem," Zhou Le affirmed. "Remember, quality comes first! If you need money, come to me. Don't let funding issues cut corners on the later storyline and gameplay! If we're going to do it, we'll do it the best! We'll make it so amazing that the whole world will be amazed!"

"Understood! Thank you, Mr. Zhou! Thank you so much!" The voice on the other end of the phone was full of gratitude and excitement.

Not long after I hung up the phone with Youke Interactive, the person in charge sent me a detailed breakdown of fund usage and a newly drafted supplementary investment contract.

It also included a long, heartfelt thank you message, and at the end, it cautiously asked Mr. Zhou to take a look first, so that if there were any questions, we could communicate and discuss them at any time.

Zhou Le opened the contract and glanced at it. The terms were very clear: the new investment would be mainly used to further refine the core combat experience, expand the map size, and add more side quests and hidden elements.

Correspondingly, Zhou Le Studio's shareholding will further increase, but it will mainly focus on the right to dividends and the right to make suggestions and be informed about some major decisions. The core creative ideas and R&D leadership of the game will still be firmly in the hands of the Youke team.

Zhou Le was very satisfied with this. He always believed that professional matters should be left to professionals, and that too much interference from capital would only make things worse.

“No major problems.” Zhou Le muttered, and then forwarded the document to Su Yingxia: “Xiao Su, it’s a new contract with Youke. It’s submitted in the company’s name. Have your legal counsel take a look at the details. If there are no problems, I’ll trouble you to go and sign the contract. Then we can proceed with the payment process.”

These kinds of matters, which involve company investment and legal affairs, can be left to a professional team to handle. He only needs to sign off and pay the money.

Su Yingxia quickly replied with an "OK" gesture to indicate that she had received the message.

After dealing with this "unexpected" expense, Zhou Le followed the crew of "Cliff Walkers" to two cities for preview screenings.

After that, he immediately returned to Shanghai and threw himself back into filming "You Are My Glory".

On set, when Dilraba saw him return, her eyes crinkled into crescents: "Oh, the busy man is back? How was the preview screening? Did Director Zhang praise you to the skies again?"

Zhou Le tossed his coat to his assistant and said in a serious tone, "So-so. I've only been praised about two hundred times, with people saying I'm the best actor among the younger generation."

"I think your bragging is pretty convincing!" Dilraba laughed and punched him lightly. "Hurry up and change your clothes and rehearse your lines. I've been so bored reading the script by myself these past few days."

The two got along very naturally and were extremely familiar with each other. In the drama, they played Yu Tu and Qiao Jingjing, who were caught in an ambiguous and entangled relationship. Off-screen, they were good friends who could have in-depth discussions with each other.

However, rumors about the film and television adaptation of "You Are My Glory" have already been circulating online. After all, with such a big IP and Zhou Le's golden brand, the attention it receives is bound to be high.

Fans and book lovers are frantically speculating about who the female lead is, with the names of various popular actresses being mentioned.

However, the production team did an excellent job of keeping things under wraps. Dilraba Dilmurat joined the production in a very low-key manner, and leaked photos were strictly controlled, which kept the casting of Qiao Jingjing a mystery.

The production team is determined to wait until all filming is completed and post-production begins before officially announcing the female lead and launching the first wave of publicity.

That evening, they finished work early, and Zhou Le started his live stream on time, following the plan he had discussed with the crew.

Firstly, it's to maintain the show's popularity, and secondly, it's to generate buzz for the upcoming game promotion. The show features a lot of storylines related to Honor of Kings, so creating an atmosphere in advance is essential.

But before the show aired, the production team told Zhou that they had found a few teammates for this project.

They're all celebrities, and they all play King of Glory. A mix like that should create a really good effect.

As soon as the live stream started, viewers flooded in.

The barrage of comments exploded instantly, with all sorts of questions flooding in.

index.vue: "Brother Le! Do you know anything about Kris's situation? Can you reveal something?"

Socrates: "I heard you were at his previous gathering? What exactly happened?"

The empty sky: "Is it really because of the selection of a concubine?"

dob: "Was Le Ge trending on social media last time because people couldn't stand him?"

Zhou Le looked at these gossipy questions, smiled, and said in a relaxed but evasive tone: "Everyone, calm down. As for his matter, there has been an official announcement. Let's take the official information as the standard."

As for the dinner party thing, we just happened to bump into each other at some event, that's all. The last time it trended on social media was purely accidental; his car got scratched, and he was a bit upset. It really had nothing to do with me. He clarified that at the time, so please stop speculating.

He deftly changed the subject, then said mysteriously, "Hey, no duo queue today. I've found you some really good teammates, all of whom are old acquaintances. I guarantee there will be a surprise!"

Just then, an account with the ID "I am a Big Star" entered the team room. The microphone icon lit up, and a female voice, which had been deliberately adjusted but was still clear and pleasant to the ear and very familiar to the audience, came through: "Hello hello? Can you hear me? Good evening, master~ I'll have to trouble you to carry me to victory again tonight!"

As soon as that sound came out, the live chat exploded again:
Jianghu Luyuan: "Holy crap! That voice! It's that mysterious sweet girl!"

vv: "She's here again! Who is she?!"

Liuyunhk: "Her voice is so nice, and her attitude is so well-behaved. She calls me a great god."

The Lazy Person: "Feels like a newbie, right? Is Brother Le giving a warm-up to a newcomer?"

butter: "Newcomer +1, I haven't heard this voice before in the industry, but it sounds like it has good quality!"

2177 "If he can play games with Brother Le, he's probably a new talent that his company is going to promote?"

Dark Ultraman: "Beautiful, sweet-voiced, but technically incompetent? Hahahaha!"

cmz: "Maybe she's not bad, what if she's a hidden pro?" Reba looked at the various speculations in the comments that she was a "newbie", suppressed a laugh, and deliberately said in a sweeter and more coquettish voice: "Pro, can I play Yao this game? I'll hit wherever you point."

Zhou Le almost burst out laughing, but forced himself to cooperate: "Okay, then stick close to me. Don't worry, this round is in the bag."

Comments: "??? This line is so corny, but I love it!"

Teacher Mao's puppy: "The new girl is so interesting! Brother Le, I'm even more interesting, can you play me instead of the game?"

The place was deserted after the rain: "Sweet voice and knows how to use internet slang, I love it!"

One of the Empire's Top Ten Outstanding Youths: "I envy my sister, she can play games with Brother Le, I envy Brother Le's keyboard, I envy Brother Le's mouse."

Just then, another familiar ID entered the room, its signature smug laugh coming through the microphone: "Hahaha! You guys! I'm here! Not late, right? Le'er! Did you miss me?"

It was Chen He who arrived.

The moment he opened his mouth, the live stream was instantly a hit.

The chat was filled with comments like, "Hahaha, Chichi's here!"

Citric acid: "It really is an old acquaintance!"

The spirit of the full moon: "Zeng Xiaoxian! Is that you, Zeng Xiaoxian?!"

Zhou Le laughed, "Brother He, you've finally arrived! We've been waiting for you. How's your game been lately? Don't let me down."

Chen He: "Just kidding! I, Chen He, am the number one braggart in the Chinese server! I don't know if I'm bad at the game, but I'm a professional at tilting the opponent! I guarantee I'll make them tilt!"

After exchanging a few jokes, another ID that left all the viewers speechless joined the team room.

It was actually "Wang Ling"!
The microphone was turned on, and a mature female voice with a smile and a high degree of recognizability rang out: "Xiao Zhou, He He, am I not late? I've only been playing this game for a short time, so you guys have to be a little more lenient with me."

The comments section froze briefly, then went completely wild:

water: "?????????"

Antenna Short-Circuit Baby: "Am I blind? Is this... Aunt Xue???"

Chrysanthemum Peanut Oil: "Fu Wenpei! Open the door! I know you're home! You're so capable of playing games, but you're not capable of opening the door!"

Pancake Dog: "Aunt Xue plays Honor of Kings too? My dimensional barrier has shattered!"

Dili Reba: "Aunt Xue: I'm not here to break up this family, I'm here to join it!"

Zhou Le and Chen He quickly greeted her, "Good evening, Sister Ling!"

"Sister Ling, it's already a great honor for us that you came! Please have fun and enjoy yourself!"

Wang Ling laughed as well: "I see you young people having so much fun, so I'm going to follow suit so I don't fall behind the times. Xiao Zhou, please help me out later."

The last teammate arrived on time; it was singer Hu Xia.

He was quite modest: "Brother Le, Brother He, Sister Ling. My skills are alright, I mainly play top lane, and I try not to hold the team back."

The live chat was filled with comments like, "Hu Xia! It's Hu Xia!"

"The heavy rains we missed in those years, the love we missed in those years!"

"Hu Xia is really good at games! I heard he's at the King of Glory level!"

"Now the lineup is complete! Le Shen jungle, Tian Mei support, Chi Chi mid, Xue Yi... What is Xue Yi playing? Lu Ban No. 7? Hahaha! Hu Xia top lane!"

"What a lineup! A dream collaboration! The show's effects are explosive!"

The five-row convoy officially started.

Zhou Le played Ma Chao in the jungle, Reba played Yao and hung on his head, Chen He played Daji in the mid lane, Wang Ling instantly picked Luban, and Hu Xia took Lu Bu to the top lane.

The game was naturally incredibly fun and full of high-energy moments.

Zhou Le carried the team with his skills, while Hu Xia remained as steady as a mountain, helping out everywhere and dominating the entire field.

Dilraba played the role of a well-behaved accessory throughout, praising the newcomer with a sweet voice at the right time, saying things like "The master is so amazing!" and "Wow! You won again!", which helped the viewers' goodwill towards her continue to rise.

The barrage of comments completely turned into a sea of ​​joy:

A wise man doesn't mince words: "Hahaha, Aunt Xue's Lu Ban, his positioning relies on feints, and his damage output relies on basic attacks!"

Guoliduo: "Sister Ling: I'm not giving this away, I'm tactically drawing fire!"

The stunningly beautiful little pig: "Red-haired Daji, after unleashing a full combo, the opponent wasn't dead, but he flashed away first!"

Turtle toyouta is round again: "Sweet girl: I'm just a heartless compliment machine!"

After winning several rounds decisively without any suspense, they finally dispersed.

But just as Zhou Le was about to be added to a small group voice call by Chen He, Deng Chao and Lu Han had been waiting for a long time.

"Wow, Zhou Le! Your live stream is really going well. I don't understand the games, but they're definitely fun. Can you take me with you next time?" Deng Chao's loud voice rang out first.

Lu Han also said with a smile, "It's really fun, and the audience feedback is excellent. I think we can even invite the Five Ha to be guests on our next show."

Chen He added, "Moreover, the price is affordable, and we all know each other well, so it's easy to talk to them. I reckon Sister Ling, Brother Sha Yi, and Hu Xia will all be fine with me."

Deng Chao immediately chimed in, "Yes, yes, yes! Zhou Le, those guys in your company are pretty witty too. If they're available, bring them over. As for me, although I don't have any particularly outstanding artists, if Sister Li is in a good mood one day, I can persuade them to come and have some fun."

Zhou Le couldn't help but complain: "Brother Chao, I've discovered that you're the real 'connection king' and 'succubus' of the entertainment industry, right? You can connect with anyone."

Deng Chao retorted: "Pah! Don't give me that! You're the invisible succubus, okay? You're attractive to both men and women! Look at everyone who's worked with you, who doesn't speak highly of you? Even a senior like Sister Ling is willing to play games with you! I can't compare!"

Zhou Le smiled and said, "The mutual flattery segment has begun, right? Let's get down to business. For the next recording, we've tentatively invited Brother Sha Yi, Sister Ling, and Hu Xia."
Then it's our own people. I'll call on my company to see who's available. Chao Ge, try your best to get Li Jie to come. Lu Ge, see if you can get Gao Hanyu, whom you signed, to come and have some fun. He Ge, can you bring Hanikezi along?

Chen He: "No problem! It's decided then! We'll work together, make money together, and support our own people—it's not shameful!"

The group chatted and laughed for a while longer, and only logged off after they had determined the general direction.

After shutting down the computer, Zhou Le let out a long sigh of relief, feeling even more tired than after filming all day.

Just as I was getting ready to wash up and go to bed, there was a gentle knock on the door.

The door opened, and Dilraba, wearing a coat, walked in, her face still flushed with excitement from the live stream: "Hehe, I didn't expect pretending to be a newbie to be so much fun! The comments section was practically showering me with praise!" (End of Chapter)