You were supposed to have a fake marriage with the diva, so how did you become her father?

Chapter 125 The Animation Department's Welcome Gift

"...I've secured the marketing budget for Xingyao's summer blockbuster season. You guys handle the rest. But as promised, my salary can't be lower than it is now after I get there..."

The recording wasn't finished playing, but Wang Wei already knew that this alone was enough to be fatal.

Wang Wei's legs went weak, and he slumped back into the chair, his back instantly soaked with cold sweat.

"You...you actually recorded this..."

"Otherwise what?" Lu Ran laughed, putting away his phone at the same time. "Waiting for you to continue betraying the company?"

The HR director continued, "According to the non-compete agreement, you are prohibited from joining any other company in the same industry for three years. Furthermore, the company reserves the right to pursue legal action against you."

Wang Wei panicked completely: "Lu Ran... Minister Lu! We've been colleagues, please show mercy..."

"Colleague?" Lu Ran laughed. "When Minister Wang made things difficult for me in the meeting, he didn't treat me like a colleague at all."

He stood up, walked up to Wang Wei, and looked down at the ashen-faced man: "I'll give you one hour to pack your things and leave. This is the last bit of dignity I can give you."

"You really think I have nowhere to go, huh?" Seeing Lu Ran's attitude, Wang Wei decided to lay his cards on the table: "I've already contacted President Zhou of Starlight Entertainment. As long as I go there, I can directly take up the position of department director."

"Oh?" Lu Ran, who had already turned to leave, turned back and said disdainfully, "By the way, I heard that Starlight Entertainment is also laying off people recently. You should contact that Zhou Ran, lest he get fired before you even get there."

As Lu Ran and the other person left, the door closed, leaving Wang Wei alone in the Sixth Department Minister's office.

Upon hearing Lu Ran's words, Wang Wei felt a bad premonition. He quickly took out his phone and dialed that familiar number.

After a long time, no one answered the phone.

Wang Wei broke out in a cold sweat instantly; he knew his life was over.

He will be barred from the industry for three years and will also face hefty compensation from Xingyao. He will likely spend the next few years behind bars.

The sound of things breaking and Wang Wei's hysterical shouting came from the office, but were quickly stopped by security personnel.

...

In the office of the Seventh Department next to the Sixth Department, Zhang Dehai, the head of the Seventh Department, watched all of this from afar through the window.

Although he couldn't hear what Lu Ran and the other person did in Wang Wei's office, he knew from Wang Wei's subsequent behavior that Wang Wei had lost.

At this moment, Zhang Dehai's palms were also covered in sweat.

He recalled that he had previously joined Wang Wei in ostracizing Lu Ran, although he later toned it down and even helped promote their eight works.

But if Lu Ran were to settle old scores, he might also be doomed...

Just then, Lu Ran arrived at the door of his office.

Seeing Lu Ran and the other person enter, Zhang Dehai's throat went dry, and his voice trembled as he said, "Director Lu...Director Lu..."

Lu Ran stared at him for a few seconds, then suddenly smiled: "Minister Zhang, the post-production publicity for 'The Legend of the Condor Heroes' was quite good."

Zhang Dehai was taken aback, not expecting Lu Ran to bring this up.

"I looked at the data; the seventh wave of promotional videos exceeded expectations by 20%," Lu Ran said. "You were in charge of that, weren't you?"

"It's...it's me." Zhang Dehai said, trembling with fear.

"Well done." Lu Ran patted him on the shoulder. "The animation department may need to collaborate with your department in the future. I hope Minister Zhang will provide more support."

"Definitely! Definitely!"

Watching Lu Ran walk towards the door, Zhang Dehai stood there dumbfounded until Lu Ran pushed the door open and came back to his senses.

Lu Ran... is this letting him go?

Not only did they not pursue the matter, but they also affirmed his work?

Zhang Dehai felt a mix of emotions, and finally let out a long sigh of relief, knowing that he had kept his job.

Fortunately, I didn't listen to Wang Wei and join him in dealing with Lu Ran.

At this moment, Zhang Dehai felt both gratitude and admiration for Lu Ran.

He understood that for a young man to have reached this point, it wasn't simply a matter of connections.

Following Lu Ran from now on might lead to a good outcome.

...

Sixteenth floor, Animation Division.

The entire floor has been cleared out, and the spacious office area only has a few tables and chairs that have been temporarily moved in.

A dozen or so employees, seconded from various departments, sat anxiously, whispering among themselves.

"Our new director fired Wang Wei the moment he arrived. That's ruthless..."

"I heard he's only in his twenties?"

"He's the one who created 'The Legend of the Condor Heroes,' isn't that amazing?"

"But animation is different from live-action dramas, can he really pull it off?"

"You don't want to work here anymore? Wang Wei, the last one to question Director Lu, just left a few minutes ago!"

At that moment, the elevator doors opened.

As soon as Lu Ran walked in, everyone immediately shut up and stood up in unison.

"Sit down." Lu Ran walked to the front, his gaze sweeping over everyone. "Let me introduce myself. I'm Lu Ran, Director of the Animation Division. Some of you here are here voluntarily, and some were transferred here. Regardless, you're all on my side now."

He paused, then continued, "I know you have questions. What does a TV drama director know about animation?"

After he finished speaking, he scanned the entire room.

Although many people do think this way, no one dares to bring it up at this time.

Even some of the employees who were just discussing Lu Ran were too guilty to look him in the eye.

Seeing everyone's tense expressions, Lu Ran smiled and said, "It's alright, it's normal to have questions. So today, I'll show you something."

He walked to the projector and plugged in the USB drive.

The screen lit up, and a folder icon appeared with the title "Those Years, Those Rabbits, Those Things".

"This is our department's first project," Lu Ran said, opening the file. "It's also a little gift from me to everyone."

As the contents of the USB drive were opened, the first concept image appeared on the screen.

A rabbit wearing an old military cap and a red scarf stands on a hillside, gazing into the distance.

The art style is simple and cute, but the sparkle in those eyes touches everyone's heart.

"This is..." Seeing such a cute picture, someone finally couldn't help but ask.

"The rabbit from the Flower Country." Lu Ran switched to the next image.

The rabbits marched through the snow, their cotton-padded clothes worn and tattered, but their eyes were resolute.

In the next picture, the rabbits are gathered around a simple table, on which a map is spread out.

Next, the rabbit built tractors, researched rockets, and launched satellites...

As you turn the pages, the history of a nation's struggle is presented in this warm and inspiring way.

The meeting room was completely silent.

Everyone was stunned.

They weren't unfamiliar with anime, but combining such a significant historical event with adorable animal characters was a creative idea that no one had ever used before.

It can be said that Lu Ran's idea is groundbreaking, and if it succeeds, it will have epoch-making significance.

At that moment, they suddenly realized that joining the anime club was the right decision they could have made.

After all, the man in front of them, named Lu Ran, had created one miracle after another.

The departments he took over all showed an increasingly positive trend.

Have they really caught up with us now?

...