It's all his fault for being an artist!

Chapter 31: The Feeling of Being Directed, A List of Commissioned Articles, and Some Inspirational Q

There must be something fishy going on here. Let me investigate!

Cheng looked up and couldn't understand how he, an unknown artist, had been promoted to the top of the popular list.

He quickly opened the post, and after reading it, he soon found the short essay written by someone who said "drink less iced cola".

The number of comments then began to surge.

[Highly recommended by Mrs. Cola, the quality is indeed guaranteed; she truly lives up to her reputation as a professional commissioner.]

[This was posted in our author group by Cola. I'm just here to get acquainted with you. I'm about to launch my new book, so I'd like to ask you to design a cover.]

[Can you commission portraits? Mrs. Cola told us that you are skilled in many different drawing styles and can meet all your needs!]

【…】

That's it!

"Should I say I have an excellent eye for talent, or that I seriously underestimated Coca-Cola's brand recognition?"

A small post, half the history of the forum.

From Green River readers and forum visitors to well-known writers and private project managers.

The hundreds of replies almost became a condensed representation of the forum's main users.

Coca-Cola's influence on small social media circles far exceeded Cheng Wang's expectations.

Could this be...?

What does it feel like to be handpicked?

The large number of participants in the topic makes it like a gacha game with a pity system. Even if you're extremely unlucky, as long as you draw enough times, you'll always have a chance to get the pity reward.

At a glance.

Cheng Wang found quite a few commission requests that could be compared to Coca-Cola and catch his eye.

It begins with attracting traffic and ends with talent.

The involvement of Coca-Cola brought many potential opportunities to the surface, but what truly attracted them were clearly the demonstration paintings themselves.

By demonstrating their exceptional skills, they successfully piqued the interest of those who responded and expressed their desire to commission articles.

Cheng Wang first sent a message to Kele to express his gratitude and to offer to give her priority in drawing the manuscript she wanted if she needed anything.

On the other end of QQ, a message automatically replied instantly: "The account owner is currently unavailable."

[I'm writing this in a race against time! Please don't disturb me!!!]

Ok.

Internet writer, disrespectful.

He then went through the replies again.

First, we must eliminate those whose recruitment targets are clearly young users.

I don't mean to look down on children, but the proportion of them who are financially well-off is definitely very small.

The process of soliciting articles is too simple, the price is too low, the effort required is somewhat excessive, and it's impossible to gain a reputation.

For more complex options, the concern becomes whether you can afford the price.

Second.

Long-term collaborative contributions from micro-game or design companies should not be considered for the time being.

Working with companies inevitably means tighter deadlines, and I'm not yet at a stage where I have complete control over my time.

Furthermore, Cheng Wang's extensive professional experience told him...

There are many small and micro companies with ambitious project plans, but they are all just makeshift operations. Some rich kids decide to pull people in and dabble in it on a whim.

Nobody can say for sure whether the deadline for submitting the manuscript or the day of bankruptcy will come first.

Of course, there is another, more important reason—

Working with a company and setting specific requirements can lead to a lot of trouble.

Sometimes, no matter how beautifully an artist draws, it's useless if you're dealing with an unknown, ordinary artist. You might even have to create several versions and let them choose the one they're most satisfied with, or you might have to scrap everything and start over.

Only well-known industry experts have the confidence to reverse the client's demands and make a fortune.

My motivation for taking on the path of commissioned writing was that I no longer wanted to be a slave to others.

Is it possible for us to regress as we age?

Based on the above two criteria, Cheng Wang carefully checked all the replies and found that there were still more than a dozen commissioned writers who had qualified to join the Zuowangdao Painting Studio.

This survival rate of 100% delighted him.

Some commissions only require one image, while others, like Cola's, require a set of images.

Depending on the specific requirements, the price per piece can range from 300 to 800 yuan, and it is expected that the payment can be made before the spring exam.

Once all the reliable manuscripts are completed and the payments are settled, the balance in my card will exceed ten thousand yuan!

It's really funny.

In my past life, all I could think about was making money. I worked overtime to meet performance targets, but my savings were always empty.

They were just testing the waters, but an unexpected opportunity arose, and they couldn't stop it.

Cheng Wang read aloud the list of people he had privately messaged one by one.

Crab and Chicken Noodles, Zhi Qiu, Tantai Family Noodles...

Usernames and pseudonyms each have their own merits, but the requirements for the articles are easier to remember than the real names.

If they weren't all potential future benefactors, Cheng Wang would never have deliberately lingered to look at them or try to make a lasting impression.

It's better for us to just sit and observe.

Catchy and easy to sing!

Cheng Wang got off the plane with satisfaction and left the room to check the gas heating installation, just as he bumped into Lin Qin, who was returning home.

"Chengwang... Hmm? Why are there so many people at home?"

Lin Qin immediately became alert upon seeing the busy plumbers.

"Young man, didn't you tell your mother?" The foreman carefully wiped his sweat, avoiding the clean furniture, and pointed at Cheng Wang.

"Little sister, you're so lucky to have such a filial son. My little devil can't think of anything to do with him. Tsk tsk, I can't help but envy his filial piety."

Upon hearing this...

She stared at Cheng Wang in surprise, completely failing to understand what the leader meant.

Cheng Wang quickly pulled her aside and quietly explained the whole story.

After hearing this explanation, Lin Qin not only didn't understand, but her expression became even more puzzled.

"Where did you get the money?"

"Old Wang found some of my best works and sent them to the city to compete. Luckily, I won an award, and the prize money is just enough to install a water heater."

Cheng Wang tried to fool him with a joke.

Invoking Wang Huiming's name has been a tried-and-true tactic hundreds of times.

Even if he was just talking nonsense, his son spoke with such conviction and seriousness.

Lin Qin couldn't detect anything amiss and sighed deeply.

"You're so thoughtful, kid. Why don't you keep this money for college? Your dad and I aren't afraid of the cold, it's such a waste of money."

Cheng Wang glanced down and gestured towards the chilblains on her knuckles that hadn't fully healed.

"It happens every year, I'm used to it."

That's what they say.

Lin Qin instinctively covered her hands behind her back.

Why does this feel like a strange sense of déjà vu?

This same arrogant attitude... Is Li Xixi your real daughter?

Cheng Wang rolled his eyes: "Hey Mom, just look at it from a different perspective. Is it wrong for me to feel cold? If you ruin the great artist's hands, your retirement pension won't be enough to compensate for it."

"Hey, you brat!"

Lin Qin raised an eyebrow.

In just a few words, her worries about her son spending money as soon as he had it were dispelled.

"Wait a minute, Mom hasn't bought the groceries yet. I'll make some chicken soup tonight."

By the time Cheng Jianhua got home to cook, the renovations were already finished.

The hot water flowing rapidly from the tap prompted him to ask the same question as Lin Qin.

"Qinqin, Chengwang, what happened? Did you just give each other cold water?"

It wasn't Cheng Wang's turn to explain a second time.

Lin Qin arrived at the kitchen first, crossed her arms over her chest, raised her head slightly, and her face was full of pride and smugness.

"Why put in cold water? We installed gas heating! My son is so good, so thoughtful and considerate, he even took out his bonus to use at home!"

"Lao Cheng, you're not allowed to eat either of the chicken legs in the soup later. We need to make sure our son gets some proper nourishment!"

Cheng Jianhua: "...Oh, okay?"