"Eh?! That's right!"
Men Youcai excitedly slapped his forehead.
"The boss dungeon design team is currently collecting new boss designs. If your design gets selected, you might even receive a personal contribution award."
"Old Pang, let's go!"
"I'll take you to meet the dungeon team leader!"
Men Youcai enthusiastically pulled Pang Xuehen over to the middle-aged man working on AI-generated art.
The middle-aged man was deeply engrossed in his drawing when he was suddenly interrupted, his face clearly showing displeasure.
However, the moment he saw Pang Xuehen's mermaid painting, his eyes lit up. Without a word, he immediately called a meeting with the entire boss dungeon team.
Everyone quickly reached a consensus and decided on the spot to introduce a new boss for the upcoming update: the "Abyssal Lord Moonlit Mermaid."
They would finalize the dungeon design before the update and officially launch the new dungeon next month.
From the moment Pang Xuehen stepped into the Digital Liveliness Game Company to the finalization of his mermaid design as the Moonlit Mermaid,
he felt like he was being pushed along, like an outsider completely unaware of what was happening.
But when he heard that Digital Liveliness planned to use the "mermaid" as the boss for the dungeon, Pang Xuehen suddenly snapped back to reality.
"Wait, please!" Pang Xuehen urgently spoke up.
All eyes turned to him.
Under their gazes, Pang Xuehen swallowed hard and said softly,
"I'm happy that you're using my artwork."
"But this mermaid is a fan-art design based on the Lion Castle Hotel. Shouldn't you consult them first before using it?"
Everyone: ???
Boss Team Leader: "Does this mermaid have a real-life reference?"
Pang Xuehen hesitated, neither confirming nor denying, and only said:
"I dreamed of this mermaid while sleeping in Room 1703, the themed horror room at Lion Castle Hotel."
"The Lion Castle Hotel's theme park also has many mermaid designs, and I drew a lot of inspiration from them."
Boss Team Leader: "Got it! To be safe, we'll contact Lion Castle Hotel first."
Everyone involved was familiar with the importance of "intellectual property" and "licensing."
To ensure smooth development and operation of the game, they couldn't afford even the slightest mistake!
After the meeting, the Digital Liveliness development team immediately reached out to Lion Castle Hotel.
Since the two parties had already collaborated on the Wish Card Pool, adding a Dark Mermaid boss would only enhance their partnership.
Soon, the boss dungeon team began working intensively on the Moonlit Mermaid design.
They aimed to finalize the dungeon before the update and officially release it next month!
...
Time flew by.
A week passed in the blink of an eye.
At midnight on Sunday, while many were already in bed preparing for work the next day,
all employees of Lang'ai, Lion Castle, and Jasmine Hotels curiously gathered around their phones, opening video platforms like "Little Bee," "Green Fatty," "Underwear," and "Big Head Cabbage."
"Wow… so that's Zhu Tingting!"
"I heard he used to work at our hotel but was scouted by a talent agent and left."
"But our boss still actively invested in him, making him the spokesperson for the new coffee and funding his endorsements and ads."
"Our boss is seriously too nice!!"
"But Zhu Tingting is really handsome!"
"Cut it out! What's the use of being handsome? Without the boss spending money on him, who would even know who he is?"
"Exactly! It's all because the boss is kind."
"If it were me, and someone quit to become a celebrity and make money, I wouldn't even consider hiring them as a spokesperson—I'd be lucky not to smear their name!"
"Tsk… that's why you'll never be the boss."
"Being a boss is exhausting… I'd rather be the boss's favorite goddaughter!"
"Then I'll be your godmother, mwah~~"
...
The chatter in the employee dormitories was lively and continuous.
Within just half an hour,
Chen Jianhai gained dozens of goddaughters and future daughters-in-law, with the Chen family tree rapidly expanding online!
Meanwhile,
In the living room of a luxury residential area in Paperclip City,
the main crew of "Mr. Sweetheart" had gathered.
Director Kou Cen sat in the center, and everyone's expressions were serious.
"Director Kou, all post-production work for our drama—including dubbing and the theme song—has been completed."
"But right now, the market is dominated by historical fantasy dramas. I suggest we hold off on releasing ours to avoid the peak competition."
Main Crew Member No. 1 spoke solemnly.
"I disagree!"
Main Crew Member No. 2 countered: "With several historical fantasies dominating the screens, the competition is fierce. While it looks intense, audiences might actually be getting tired of it."
"If we release now, our drama could stand out and feel refreshing."
Main Crew Member No. 3 shook his head: "I think we should play it safe and not rush the release."
"We've seen too many dramas that tried to stand out but ended up flopping, barely noticed by anyone."
"Our drama has a top-tier script, director, screenwriter, cast, and voice actors. There's no need to take risks like smaller productions."
Main Crew Member No. 1: "Exactly!"
"Film releases depend on timing and luck. Right now, historical fantasies are thriving. Why should our urban romance drama compete for attention in this market?"
In the living room,
the crew split into two sides, debating fiercely like a competition.
They argued intensely about whether to move up "Mr. Sweetheart's" release date.
"I don't agree!"
"The industry is chaotic right now. So many actors walk the red carpet one day and get blacklisted the next for misconduct."
"Countless dramas and movies that haven't even been scheduled are affected, shelved forever with no chance of release."
"Not only do they lose everything, but the entire crew's hard work is buried." Main Crew Member No. 4 spoke with anguish.
"But our crew doesn't have that problem!"
Main Crew Member No. 1 retorted firmly: "All our actors are thoroughly vetted, and they signed commitment and breach contracts before filming."
"If their personal actions prevent the drama's release, they'll have to pay hefty penalties."
Main Crew Member No. 4: "Appearances can be deceiving!"
"Those who got into trouble—did any of them admit to violating public morals? Did any confess their scandals on camera?"
"They hid their secrets deeper than a fox's den!"
"Even if they were clean before, what about the future?!"
Main Crew Member No. 4 rapped his fingers on the table.
"Who can guarantee they won't make any mistakes before the drama airs?"
"Right now, we're focused on the future, hoping our drama becomes a blockbuster."
"But if something really goes wrong, we won't even have a chance to cry about it!"
The room fell silent.
In the past, after finishing a production, teams would deliberately delay its release to target holiday periods for maximum viewership.
This was a solid strategy.
But who could've predicted that actors these days would be so unreliable?
One bad apple spoiling the barrel has become all too common.
If the drama couldn't air because of the cast's misconduct, it would be worse than death.
Main Crew Member No. 2 wavered.
"Even if you're right, the current drama market is saturated with historical fantasies."
"Releasing now would be an uphill battle."
"Unless we aim for a TV broadcast, it'll be hard to break through."
Main Crew Member No. 1 scoffed: "Wouldn't a TV broadcast require waiting too?"
"Not only would we have to wait, but the wait might even be longer!"
"If we can wait for a TV slot, why can't we wait for a streaming release?"
"What's the difference?"
The atmosphere in the room froze again.
Both sides stood their ground, neither able to convince the other.
With no other choice, they turned to Director Kou Cen for the final decision.
But Kou Cen didn't seem to be listening. Instead, he was staring at his phone, deep in thought.
"Director Kou, please make the call!"
The crew had no choice but to leave the toughest decision to him.
Kou Cen looked up from his phone and suddenly said: "Open the video apps on your phones."
Main Crew Members: ???
Though confused, they obediently pulled out their phones.
The top video platforms were none other than "Little Bee," "Green Fatty," "Underwear," and "Big Head Cabbage."
Having worked with these platforms for years, the crew had all the apps installed.
Main Crew Member No. 1: "Huh? This coffee ad was filmed at Lang'ai Hotel, where we shot our drama! Even the aquarium elevator and sunken ship restaurant are the same."
Main Crew Member No. 2: "Hey! Mine's at Jasmine Island! When did they add those overwater villas? They weren't there last time!"
Main Crew Member No. 3: "Oh, this is just the famous Lion Castle Hotel everyone's talking about online! My son keeps begging to visit."
Main Crew Member No. 4: "The guy in this ad looks familiar…"
Suddenly, a few of them widened their eyes.
"Isn't this the hotel employee who had a cameo in our drama?"
"How did he land an endorsement?!"
Main Crew Member No. 1 paused the ad and zoomed in on the male lead's face.
"Holy cow!"
"He's got ads on all four major platforms—this guy's about to blow up!"
As industry veterans, they knew the ins and outs better than anyone.
For an actor,
beyond talent and projects, image and commercial opportunities are crucial.
Sometimes, a high-quality endorsement matters more than an obscure web drama!
Regardless of what Summer Mocha Coffee was,
and regardless of Zhu Tingting's previous obscurity,
these four major ads alone meant his value would skyrocket overnight, with a flood of commercial opportunities on the horizon.
Main Crew Member No. 1: "Honestly, this guy's screen presence isn't bad!"
Main Crew Member No. 2: "His image is clean too."
Main Crew Member No. 3: "The ad's cinematography is top-notch. They must've spent a fortune on it."
Main Crew Member No. 4: "And a lot of the ad's scenes overlap with our drama. It feels oddly familiar."
Main Crew Member No. 1: "Yeah, it really does. The hotel we filmed at had great service."
But after all this, they were still clueless about why Kou Cen had asked them to check the ads.
Kou Cen: "You've all been talking about timing and luck. Well, the luck has arrived."
Main Crew Members: ???
Kou Cen: "Just as we were debating whether to move up the release, Zhu Tingting's ads dropped across all platforms."
"I believe this is a sign—"
"A perfect opportunity to push 'Mr. Sweetheart' forward!"
"No matter how popular those historical fantasies are, they still rely on these four platforms."
"When audiences notice the ad's settings and male lead align with our drama, their attention will naturally shift to us."
Main Crew Member No. 2 slapped his thigh: "You're absolutely right!"
"Who'd have thought a minor actor during filming would land ads on all four platforms half a year later?"
"If he's lucky, he'll quickly gain a fanbase."
"Those fans could become viewers for 'Mr. Sweetheart,' giving us an extra boost!"
Main Crew Member No. 1 opened his mouth to object, but after seeing Kou Cen's stance, he changed his tune:
"Right!"
"We could release on one platform first, then work on a TV broadcast."
"Even if we can't sync the TV and streaming releases, the online hype could still drive TV ratings later."
Main Crew Member No. 2 frowned slightly: "But with four platforms, which one should we choose?"
Though Kou Cen wasn't a guaranteed hitmaker,
the drama starred award-winning actor Wu Kai, whose reputation and talent were undeniable.
Producer Han Zhongming was also a heavyweight in the industry!
With their influence, once the release date was set, all four platforms would compete for exclusive rights.
Another bloodbath was inevitable.
Kou Cen thought for a moment: "No need to choose. Partner directly with Big Head Cabbage!"
"'Mr. Sweetheart' was mainly filmed at Lang'ai Hotel, and Big Head Cabbage's Summer Mocha ad was also shot there."
"If we're going exclusive, let's go all the way!"
...
Just as the "Mr. Sweetheart" team finalized their release date,
far away at Lion Castle Hotel,
a soft "ding" sounded.
A massive light-blue system panel appeared before Chen Jianhai's eyes, with a small red-dotted envelope in the bottom right corner.
What's this?
Curious, Chen Jianhai tapped the envelope.
A dialog box popped up in the center of the system:
"System detected activation of 002 Golden Ocean Luck Card. Host and affiliated hotels have received 10 Luck Feedback points."
Huh?!
Chen Jianhai bolted upright in bed.
Zhu Tingting's Golden Ocean Luck Card had taken effect?!?!