The library at the Fifth Middle School is closed every Saturday and Sunday.
Apart from some classics, the library also has a lot of extracurricular books, and even web novels—it’s said that the latter are all donations from graduates, and the school usually turns a blind eye when students borrow such books.
However, this Saturday, a library staff member opened the door and led a few students inside:
“The warehouse is downstairs. I’ll take you there… By the way, Teacher Yuan didn’t say there would be more than just Chu Tingwu, did he?”
An Shiyan raised her hand and showed her phone to the staff member: “I’m here to do video recording.”
Chang Yixin “ah”ed and took out a notebook from her backpack: “Then I’m here to do text recording.”
Staff member: …No, you’re both just trying to skip class, aren’t you?
Chu Tingwu, sandwiched between the two, looked back at them with an innocent expression.
The staff member was speechless for a moment: “Well… I’m not sure how many mice there are, but I saw some chewed-up books and mouse droppings. It’s pretty dirty down there. Are you sure you all want to go down?”
The other two, except for Chu Tingwu, hesitated for a moment but still decided to stick together, holding hands.
Chu Tingwu: You really don’t have to.
It was Saturday, but the three students from the sophomore competition class only had a single day off. In the afternoon, during class, the library staff member introduced by Teacher Yuan came to ask Chu Tingwu for help, requesting her to catch some mice.
The time required was not fixed, so after reporting to the teacher, Chu Tingwu also brought her two friends along.
As they walked down the narrow stairs, An Shiyan whispered: “Having a skill really means you can find work anywhere.”
Catching mice could actually be done with machines, but the school didn’t want to spend money renting one… and luckily, there was a student with exceptional skills who could be “exploited” for the task.
Chu Tingwu whispered back: “Actually, I was planning to outsource the job to One-Ear.”
Then they went to the school supermarket to buy oden.
But the staff member wasn’t pleased, worried that the cat would damage the books.
Chu Tingwu: Wouldn’t I also risk damaging the books?
Well, she probably wouldn’t.
The basement of the school library was actually semi-submerged, with skylights on the top and windows on the side, relying on the side windows for natural light during the day.
Many books with a strong vintage vibe were stacked there, and Chu Tingwu quickly understood why catching the mice was so difficult—the bookshelves at the bottom, unlike the ones above, only had a palm-width gap between them to save space.
Chang Yixin stepped forward to take a look, carefully pulling out a book: “‘Journey to Antarctica with You’… This book is from thirty years ago. It seems like just an ordinary travel guide? The books stacked here are probably the ones no one wants to borrow or buy, right?”
Books that can only be sold by the pound.
And she got a palm full of dust.
Chu Tingwu held a long-handled clamp, asking An Shiyan to hold the bag for her.
She tapped the bookshelf with the clamp, walking around the basement like a casual stroll. When she came out from the other end, the clamp had a struggling large gray mouse on it.
An Shiyan was startled:
“You, you yell when you’re about to drop it, and I’ll tighten the bag immediately!”
Otherwise, she was afraid the mouse would escape!
Chang Yixin, on the other hand, took out her notebook like a pro: “Wait, let me sketch the appearance of the suspect mouse and take some notes.”
An Shiyan said gloomily: “You hold the bag, and I’ll just take photos. Wouldn’t that be faster?”
Neither of them had ever observed a live large mouse like this before, and both felt a bit creeped out… Even though Chu Tingwu probably wouldn’t miss, still: “What if it escapes…”
Chu Tingwu: “I can catch it with my bare hands if it does.”
An Shiyan: “Then you should wear gloves.”
Chu Tingwu: Don’t sound so disgusted!
In factories where precision instruments are used and machines can’t be employed to catch mice, someone with her skills would cost a lot of money to hire!
There were a total of three mice in the library. After Chu Tingwu successfully captured them, she handed them over to the staff member.
…Although there was still time to attend the last class of the afternoon, of course, they weren’t going to.
While buying oden, An Shiyan continued the previous topic:
“That’s true… I really want to learn some money-making skills from you.”
She was running out of money again because of her merch purchases!
Actually, although the students at school knew Chu Tingwu was financially independent, they didn’t have a concrete understanding of it until the principal praised Chu Tingwu during the Monday assembly a while ago. He mentioned that she had studied diligently and turned down invitations to the red carpet and variety shows for the sake of her studies, encouraging everyone to learn from this outstanding student.
Everyone: “?”
What was there to learn? They didn’t have any opportunities to walk the red carpet or appear on variety shows!
The red carpet event was for the movie "Tiger Head." Although Chu Tingwu was part of the behind-the-scenes staff, the film had won the Best Art Award, and Director Mu Lou said Chu Tingwu had contributed to the success, so he enthusiastically invited her to the awards ceremony.
Even if she didn’t go on stage, it would be nice for her to come and see the event, and they could have a meal together afterward.
But the system identified that the “meal” included another director and several other people in the industry, so Chu Tingwu politely declined, citing her studies as the reason.
Being a contracted host and being in the entertainment industry were two different things. Director Mu Lou had kindly wanted to bring her into the circle, but after the variety show, Chu Tingwu realized she didn’t like this kind of attention—
Whether it was the movie or the variety show, she hadn’t shown her face, but even so, her audience had attracted some strange people.
They were passionate and professional, but they also assumed that everything about Chu Tingwu—from her privacy to her personal experiences and current situation—was something to be explored and made public. Some “fans” even came all the way to Jin City and waited outside the Fifth Middle School.
—And the reason was “love.”
The first time she encountered such fans, Chu Tingwu jumped over the wall and returned to her neighborhood. The second time, when they wanted to take a photo together, she silently climbed onto the roof of a bike shed, looking down at them from several meters high—
Not responding, not smiling.
When the fans tried to take out their phones to snap a photo, Chu Tingwu’s figure disappeared from their lenses.
After such incidents repeated a few times and nearly a month passed, the heat finally cooled down.
During this period, Chu Tingwu also thought about it:
“If I have to participate in some program in the future, I hope it’s a documentary.”
An Shiyan poked a crab stick in her cup: “Huh? Are you planning to shoot a documentary? What kind?”
Chu Tingwu: “?”
Chu Tingwu: “Well… I just feel that different programs attract different audiences, and those more entertainment-focused programs make the participants seem more like entertainment figures.”
This was the conclusion she reached after discussing with the system and referring to some data:
When she was live-streaming, the audience felt close to her, even though her live-stream content was something ordinary people couldn’t achieve, there was still a sense of intimacy as fellow ordinary people.
But after appearing on entertainment-focused variety shows, she became more commercially measurable in others’ eyes. Some professional “fans” started treating her as a product that could be operated, attracting more fans who were consumers of such products.
Chu Tingwu didn’t like that.
She wasn’t averse to cameras or sharing, but she wanted to be in control.
Chu Tingwu thought for a moment: “Shooting a documentary myself… wouldn’t be a bad idea.”
The quality of the videos she produced was actually not far from that of a documentary, just lacking a fixed theme and a channel for distribution.
“Oh oh!” An Shiyan raised her hand, “Please let me appear in your life documentary, Teacher Chu!”
Chang Yixin rubbed her chin: “After filming, just sell it directly to Fenghua Network, right?”
Chu Tingwu: “==”
How did they just assume she was going to film one? She hadn’t even decided on a theme yet.
It's rare for a team to sell a documentary after it's been filmed, as documentaries are inherently low-priced and require high production standards. Typically, contracts are signed and funds are recovered or investments secured during the pre-production phase... But Chu Tingwu has a system that makes filming costs extremely low, with the main challenge being the selection of topics.
The three of them walked to Tranquil Thought Lake and sat side by side on a bench.
An Shiyan: "The essence of a documentary is to record, right? Actually, I feel there are many worth-recording things around you... like the small zoo on our campus, the school's cats, police cat training, and the animals you photographed at the reserve! The topics for documentaries don't have to be grand. Food, architecture, animals, or even the history of games—anything worth recording can be made into a documentary—"
Whether such a casually filmed piece would sell, however, is another matter entirely.
Chu Tingwu: "I do have a topic I want to film..."
The trio lingered until the last class was about to start, with only five minutes left before the bell rang. They quickly packed up their bags under the teacher's watchful gaze and went home separately.
Once home, Chu Tingwu dropped her bag and immediately started looking for Sanwulu.
Sanwulu had been increasingly fond of wandering outside lately.
Every morning, she would drop Chu Tingwu off at the classroom punctually and then go out to meet her "little buddies" (as Chu Tingwu called them). Every noon, she would return for a meal and then escort Chu Tingwu back to school, after which she would disappear without a trace.
The system knew where Sanwulu was, and after showing the location to the young girl, it asked, "Is there something you need from your mom?"
Chu Tingwu: "Hmm..."
She said, "I want to make a documentary about Sanwulu."
She had agreed to participate in the movie because she wanted to see Sanwulu on the big screen. This goal had indeed been achieved, but Chu Tingwu felt it wasn't enough.
Now she understood: Why did she want to see Sanwulu on the screen? Not just to tell others she had an amazing cat, but because it represented "continuity." Many years later, as long as the movie remained, many people would still get to know Sanwulu through it, and those who had seen the movie would remember this cat.
So why not make a documentary?
While the cat was still out and about, the girl and the system sat together, researching information about documentaries—
Some classic documentaries often film for over a decade but end up with less than an hour of footage.
Because what they capture over those years might be the passing down and disappearance of a craft, the life of a person over a decade, or even the entire life of an animal.
Therefore, Chu Tingwu thought, this documentary project would begin now and only truly appear online many years later.
By then... would the theme be:
"The Legendary Life of a Cat?"
A cat who adopted a human, taught her human how to hunt, appeared in a movie, participated in a variety show, learned rock climbing, attended police school as an auditor, and ran wild with her human... There would be even more extraordinary and magical days to come. This made Chu Tingwu suddenly realize:
Perhaps she was the "continuity" of Sanwulu.
When her life became legendary enough, Sanwulu would also become a legendary cat.
Let the filming begin.
-
When Sanwulu returned, she found her kitten unusually clingy.
Chu Tingwu followed her around, and the drone hovering above was also spinning wildly.
Sanwulu jumped onto the cabinet, raised a front paw, and pressed it against Chu Tingwu's forehead:
"Meow?"
What exactly do you want? I didn't bring any food back today, meow.
Chu Tingwu: "I'm not hungry =="
The cat mom occasionally did bring back some food... and it was indeed something the human kitten could eat.
These foods included sealed biscuits, vacuum-packed duck feet and braised chicken legs, and sometimes people would even put the food in a bag with a little note, thanking the cat with an owner for the help she provided.
Chu Tingwu leaned forward and touched her forehead to Sanwulu's.
Although the cat mom might not understand what a documentary is, she still told her exactly what it was.
This is probably the only animal actor who knows it's about to star in a documentary.
Sanwulu didn't seem to have any special reaction.
The next day, Chu Tingwu welcomed Man Xing and Lian Tong into her home.
Man Xing visited more frequently than Lian Tong, as she was Chu Tingwu's personal assistant, but it was the first time the two had come together.
Lian Tong came to report on work—
Unlike Man Xing, he had been on Chu Tingwu's side from the beginning. This time, he took over the drone company and did a great job.
The system's financial support was more than sufficient, and there were also overseas distribution channels. Lian Tong handled the most tedious tasks, constantly following up with factories and partners, running around, and now the company was finally up and running.
While Lian Tong was reporting, Man Xing sat beside him, smiling, but feeling a bit uneasy in her heart:
Strictly speaking, the boss actually had three groups of people working for her.
You Zhenzhen was her friend before she became an employee. The 365 Cat Census Company had rooted itself in Fallen Phoenix City, but it was very stable, cooperating with the government while expanding the influence of the APP and taking on more work, mainly focusing on building a good reputation.
Lian Tong not only managed the drone company but seemed to have also taken on other projects in the past, suddenly appearing by the boss's side. But his advantage was also that he had no familial ties to the boss, appearing to serve her wholeheartedly, and his capabilities were strong; Man Xing felt she was not his equal.
During the time she had been working for the boss, she quietly did her job and thought about her strengths and weaknesses.
Man Xing did a good job, and the boss had no complaints, but she was sent by the boss's mother and could return to the main company at any time, so perhaps the boss wouldn't assign her very important tasks?
Chu Tingwu mentioned her plan to film a documentary to Lian Tong.
Although she planned for the documentary not to be completed immediately, she could certainly start with a practice piece.
Because of the previous collaboration with the "No One Survives" show, Lian Tong now had many film and television industry connections. Chu Tingwu wanted to consult him about which platform the documentary should be released on.
Lian Tong: "What's the theme of the documentary?"
Chu Tingwu: "I haven't decided yet."
Lian Tong: "…Then, what kind of performance do you hope it will have?"
Chu Tingwu: "Making money isn't important, since the cost isn't high—we'll use our fourth generation drone for filming, which has a lower altitude limit but better clarity and durability—and I want to see how it performs and get more feedback from the audience, so it would be better to release it on a more prominent platform?"
Platforms with fast-paced content like short videos, or those focused on games and dance shows, also have documentaries, but one can imagine the kind of reviews those documentaries would get and how many people would actually watch them to the end.
Lian Tong said he would go back and screen some platforms, prepare to contact them, and of course, hoped that Chu Tingwu could decide on the video's theme soon.
—In his opinion, the young boss might just want to have some fun, like other rich kids who spend money on making movies or even acting in them.
The young boss's hobby was even quite modest; she didn't invest in melodramatic films but wanted to make documentaries instead, which seemed much safer.
Of course, Lian Tong selectively ignored the fact that the boss herself had been in movies and variety shows before, though she hadn't shown her face, so he pretended not to know.
After Lian Tong left, Man Xing also helped Chu Tingwu tidy up the room and then brought up whether she should join the boss's drone company—
Her current social security was still being paid by her original company, as she had only just arrived when Chu Tingwu was fifteen.
Chu Tingwu stared at her for a while.
Man Xing: "…"
Man Xing felt a bit nervous… she suspected her hint had been seen through—
She was essentially asking Chu Tingwu if she would be willing to accept her if she completely left Lu Cenyin's company.
Although they were mother and daughter, even between close family members, it was important to draw a clear line.
Although Lu Cenyin had given Man Xing the choice back then, Man Xing had still made her decision in advance: she believed that the young boss was a person with plans and reliability, and since she had been away from her original company for too long, it would be difficult for her to return to a core position. Instead, it was better to stay with the young boss, where there was still potential for promotion.
Chu Tingwu: "If that's the case..."
She said: "I think I know what documentary to make."
Man Xing: "?"
Chu Tingwu: "Forget the drone company, are you interested in taking over a charitable foundation?"
Man Xing: "Which one...?"
Chu Tingwu spread her hands: "It hasn't been established yet, but if you're interested, we can start building it from scratch."
Man Xing: "?!"
For the sake of making a documentary, you're deciding to directly create a charitable organization to be the subject of the documentary?!
-
Actually, Chu Tingwu had been thinking about the "charitable foundation" for some time.
Many wealthy individuals establish foundations, partly to legally reduce taxes and partly because charity is actually a business. Done well, it doesn't earn much less than other businesses and can also gain a lot of intangible capital.
But Chu Tingwu had thought of this on her birthday.
On her birthday, the system paid for the sterilization of all the city's cats, which was essentially "doing charity."
But even after her birthday, there were still people bringing cats over. They were the ones who had heard the news later or had previously lived in the countryside—even with hired hands catching and sterilizing cats, it wasn't fast enough to cover the entire city.
In the later stages, some cats that weren't even from Jin City were brought over, and the system didn't accept reimbursement for these cases.
Because the system knew that once this kind of indiscriminate charity behavior was allowed, even worse situations that wouldn't make the young ones happy would occur.
But after that day, Chu Tingwu started to learn about animal charities.
In fact, there are many animal-related charitable organizations: from Tea Cat to Little Sun Hospital, they can all be considered charitable organizations, as they have put in far more effort than they have received in return while helping cats.
But they are not mature charitable organizations.
The first issue is funding—
Little Sun Hospital initially invested the hospital's extra profits into the costs of rescue, and later operated on the income from videos and commercial advertisements.
Tea Cat, on the other hand, relies purely on advertising, games, and various derivative content, with more abundant but unstable funds.
And Chu Tingwu learned from the system that what's more important for a charitable organization is sustainability and stability.
If something happened to Director Yang's family and she couldn't continue to allocate profits to cat rescue and adoption, that would be normal, as she was entirely relying on her noble morals to keep the "Little Sun Animal Hospital" account producing continuously.
If there were internal conflicts within the Tea Cat team and they fell apart, the account would similarly be unable to continue.
When charitable behavior is sustained by the morals of the leader, it is unfair to both the leader and those being helped.
"So, I want to create a charitable organization whose main task is to support and assist other charitable organizations?" Chu Tingwu tried to explain her purpose to Man Xing, "Because there are already enough charitable organizations in the world, but there aren't enough charitable organizations that help other charitable organizations. I think they are all great people and great organizations, so I hope they can go a little further."
And Man Xing is a meticulous and reliable person who hasn't made any mistakes in half a year, organizing all of Chu Tingwu's connections clearly... The leader of this organization doesn't need strong work capabilities, as the funding issue will be handled by the system. What's needed is responsibility, meticulousness, and good communication and organizational skills.
Man Xing: "Will this conversation we're having now be in the documentary?"
Chu Tingwu looked up, and the drone moved a bit closer.
Man Xing smiled: "I should have worn full makeup today."
This was an ordinary afternoon, and an organization without a name was about to be born over the table. Man Xing shouldn't have been nervous—after all, nothing had started yet, and no one knew what the future of this organization would be!
But when she realized that all of this might be recorded and broadcast in a few years or even soon, she inexplicably felt an invisible responsibility on her shoulders.
Perhaps this is the meaning of recording? Recording can make ordinary days meaningful.
Sanwuwu jumped onto the table, blocking the space between the two, and the camera shot overhead, recording both of them and the cat. Chu Tingwu raised her hand and introduced to Man Xing:
"I haven't told you yet, but this is my partner. You can call it 'System.'"
The system, of course, would also be a part of the recording, even though it had no shape and wouldn't appear as a "real person."
System: "..."
System: "!"
Man Xing nodded, and then she saw another drone rise beside the flying sphere, aiming at the two of them, the cat, and the flying camera above.
Man Xing: "?"
Chu Tingwu was silent for a moment: "Well... the system wants us to film that scene again."
Since it was being introduced, it naturally had to appear in the shot!
She raised her hand.
Man Xing sat back in her seat:
So, the first step of all documentaries... starts with everyone posing together ==
