Losing Money to Be a Tycoon c1-883

by Inebriation-seeking Blue Shirt, 青衫取醉

  The deepest impression that this story left on Lu Zhiyao was its ‘cultural angle ‘.

  As an actor, Lu Zhiyao has seen many movies. He had seen all sorts of movies in various countries and genres.

  The story of ‘Mission and Choice’, if dissected individually, would be nothing special compared to many traditional sci-fi movies.

  Of course, this was normal.

  ‘Zergs’ had existed in sci-fi movies for decades after all. Various seniors had already expressed many different views from various angles and methods. There were not many places left for future generations to innovate.

  It was impossible to turn every plot in the story upside down with so many classic works available.

  However, in Lu Zhiyao’s opinion, the biggest breakthrough in Mission and Choice was actually combining the cultural perspective and sci-fi theme of China. This was something that had never happened before.

  Sci-fi movies were very rare in China. That was because sci-fi movies required too much investment and required a large number of professional props, special effects, and staff. It was very easy to make them into oddities without accumulation.

  Thus, when it came to sci-fi movies, the first thing people would think of were the huge sci-fi systems in Europe and America even in the domestic film market.

  The problem was that almost all of the popular sci-fi works that could be seen at the moment were explained from a Western cultural perspective.

  This caused many domestic audiences to question and feel disjointed about the value of these sci-fi movies. Things that Westerners were used to were completely unacceptable to domestic audiences.

  The idea of ‘Mission and Choice’ was actually written by a famous foreign science fiction writer in 1985. He had also won the Hugo Award and the Nebula Award. It was an eternal science fiction classic.

  However, in that story, the commander was a child. He felt very guilty after destroying the Zergs. That was why he brought the young Zerg Queen into the universe to find a new home, hoping to redeem himself.

  This was the standard Western thinking. Just like how many people in the animal protection organizations in the West were calling for a vegetarian diet for animals to enjoy the same rights as humans…

  This might be natural political correctness and kindness for people living in Western cultural backgrounds.

  However, this was a complete stupidity and hypocrisy for people who lived in the cultural background of China. It was a manifestation of the Virgin Mary.

  Westerners shouted the slogan for political correctness, and even fought for rights and benefits for animals. Ultimately, it was because their lives were too rich and comfortable, and because their resources were too abundant that they had the spare energy to spread their excess sympathy everywhere while squandering.

  The source of Westerners’ wealth and ease was the exploitation, plundering, and bloody slaughter of the world by their ancestors hundreds of years ago.

  Westerners did not look back at the aboriginals slaughtered by their ancestors when shouting “animals have rights”, ; they did not think about how they obtained so much material wealth because their country was plundering and exploiting the rest of the world.

  While these Westerners were empathizing with the animals for their rights, their country was bullying, oppressing, and exploiting the other countries in the world. They were constantly spreading wars, famines, and plagues, causing their fellow humans to live in hell.

  Therefore, it was very stupid and hypocritical for humans to sympathize with the Zergs from the perspective of Chinese culture.

  The world would be much better if Westerners treated the people of other races and other countries with half of their sympathy for animals.

  Zergs existed in the universe as a race that posed an extreme threat to all life in the setting. They had a strong collective consciousness, efficient sharing of information, and powerful mutation abilities. The only meaning of their existence was to expand and reproduce in the universe, eliminating all other races.

  Their race was still an extreme threat to human survival even if the Zerg Queen really wanted to coexist peacefully with humans.

  On the other hand, humans sympathizing with the Zergs and sparing them would be akin to rearing a tiger. How could they tell that the Zerg Queen was not lying? How could they tell if the Zerg Queen’s future thinking would change?

  Under such circumstances, exterminating the Zergs was the most rational decision of mankind.

  Sympathizing with the Zergs and protecting them would put humans in great danger.

  ‘Mission and Choice’ completely adopted the Chinese perspective on this theme.

  Chapter 876 - Thriller Hostel’s New Project

  The protagonist, Qin Yi, was not a child with overflowing compassion, but a clear-headed soldier with a heart of stone.

  He was influenced by the consciousness of the Zergs and naturally felt close and sympathetic to the Zergs. However, he could use his own rationality to resist and reject this feeling of closeness. He lied to the Zergs without any hesitation and ordered the extermination of the entire Zergs. This was what the protagonist of China should do.

  Of course, this made the ending seem even more ironic.

  If it was a saintly protagonist who called for peace with the Zergs and ended up on the Zergs’ side, the audience would only think that he was a ‘human traitor’ and an idiot. They would not have any good impression of him.

  However, Qin Yi was completely on the human side. Yet, he had been betrayed by a freak combination of factors and had no choice but to become the ruler of the Zergs. This made it difficult for the audience to hate him.

  Thus, if Lu Zhiyao were to judge the movie, he felt that there were three special aspects to it.

  The first was to use China’s cultural perspective to re-explain a classic science fiction theme. To domestic audiences, this was a story that made most people feel that their values were compatible with themselves.

  Secondly, such a huge investment and a large number of special effects had pushed the domestic sci-fi film to a peak. Regardless of whether it earned or lost money, it would at least leave a deep mark in the development of domestic sci-fi movies.

  Lastly, this special performance was obviously different from other movies. It was a very novel attempt.

  Lu Zhiyao was the only main actor in the entire movie. If his acting skills collapsed, the movie would collapse as well. However, if his acting skills could prop up the entire movie, a performance that lasted more than an hour and had a few changes in emotions would become a classic in the history of the movie.

  There were no outdoor scenes and everything was done using the green screen. While it greatly increased the filming costs, it was also a way to play to one’s strengths and avoid one’s shortcomings.

  Given the current situation in the country, there were many companies that produced game special effects, they had good skills, there were very few companies that produced film special effects so they had poor skills. What’s more, Tengda Corporation had more technical reserves in the game.

  Since that was the case, he would purposely not create so many realistic scenes. It would just be a space capsule and a green screen. All the combat scenes would be done with special effects to maximize the effect.

  Apart from that, Lu Zhiyao also vaguely felt that this movie was closely related to the gameplay of Mission and Choice.

  However, Lu Zhiyao was not a hardcore gamer. He did not know much about games, and he knew nothing about the details of ‘Mission and Choice’. Thus, he could only figure out the connection between the two after the game was released and the movie was released.

  After reading the last part of the script, Lu Zhiyao was even more certain that he had accepted the right film.

  Come to think of it, how could Boss Pei’s films be problematic? Every one of them would definitely be a classic!

  If the previous Tomorrow is Beautiful was a sci-fi film that talked a
bout human nature and social system, then Mission and Choice was a genuine sci-fi film.

  What’s more, this sci-fi film had a higher requirement for Lu Zhiyao’s acting skills. If he could act well, Lu Zhiyao would definitely take another step on his path to becoming a Best Actor!

  Lu Zhiyao felt full of energy at that thought. He continued to practice his acting skills in the mirror.

  …

  …

  February 6th, Monday…

  Pei Qian took a taxi to Thriller Hostel after he woke up and had his breakfast.

  It was the Lantern Festival today, but it was not a legal holiday. However, Pei Qian specially instructed Fish-Catching Take-Out to add on to the employees’ work meals as a special care for the holiday.

  Pei Qian went to Thriller Hostel today because he had a huge task for Chen Kangtuo.

  Thriller Hostel was completed in July last year. There were three projects: Desperate Escape, Haunted House Nightmare, and Ultimate Horror.

  Boss Li and the others did a round of publicity in Jingzhou and even Handong Province after they were opened for business. Zhang Wang did a round of publicity through the shared phone booths in the country. They also did another round of publicity for various UP Masters’ videos. Many people came to Jingzhou to challenge this thrilling project after “Boss Pei’s lifestyle” became popular.

  All in all, as a haunted house, Thriller Hostel was already famous throughout the country. Everyone’s first reaction was the Thriller Hostel when mentioning haunted houses in Jingzhou and even the entire Handong Province. Many young people also came from other cities to experience it.

  However, half a year had passed and the visitor flow of Thriller Hostel had already decreased. There was still a long way to go before they could recover the initial investment.

  The most fundamental reason was that there was no cluster effect.

  There were more than ten large amusement parks and dozens of projects. Not only were there haunted houses, but there were also roller coasters, pendulum rides, and other extreme and exciting projects. There were also relatively relaxing and suitable projects like the merry-go-round.

  These large amusement parks were suitable for both young and old. They were open to all ages. What’s more, they could play many projects at a time, and attract more tourists.

  The Thriller Hostel project might be fun, even more so than other haunted houses. However, the first wave of horror enthusiasts would only come three or four times at most. They would not come every day.

  Thus, the popularity naturally dropped.

  Pei Qian felt that this was a good sign.

  Looking at the Thriller Hostel project half a year after it opened showed that while it was profitable at the moment, it was still far from taking back the initial investment. It might take a few years, a dozen years, or even longer.

  This meant that the strategy was right!

  Pei Qian had more and more System Funds in his hands now. He could probably continue building more buildings in Thriller Hostel and burn more money.

  …

  Pei Qian arrived at the office of Thriller Hostel and saw Chen Kangtuo and Hao Qiong.

  It was Monday morning. There were not many tourists in the Thriller Hostel. Chen Kangtuo and Hao Qiong were in the office, busy with some daily matters.

  Chen Kangtuo did not enter the haunted houses every day after becoming the person-in-charge of Thriller Hostel. Other than maintaining the normal operations of Thriller Hostel and dealing with unexpected situations, his main focus was on improving the experience of the visitors.

  The completion rate of these three projects was already very high, but there was still room for improvement in some details. Some buildings and decorations in the venue also had room for improvement.

  Chen Kangtuo had been staying in Thriller Hostel all day. He was almost as familiar with the place as his own backyard. When he had nothing to do, he would suggest some minor renovations.

  Thus, the experience that Thriller Hostel gave tourists was much better than when it first opened.

  Chen Kangtuo and Hao Qiong were a little excited to see Boss Pei.

  Boss Pei did not forget us!

  Boss Pei had not been here for half a year ever since Thriller Hostel officially opened for business. Chen Kangtuo and Hao Qiong would have thought that they were abandoned by Boss Pei if not for the huge investment in this place.

  Boss Pei obviously had a new mission now that he was finally here!

  Pei Qian sat down on the sofa in his office and sipped his tea. He did not intend to keep them in suspense and went straight to the point.

  “I don’t have anything special to do today. I just arranged a new job for you.”

  “I’ll give you a hundred million yuan to work on a new project at Thriller Hostel for a year.”

  Chen Kangtuo and Hao Qiong were stunned.

  What was that?

  A hundred million yuan??

  Both of them were at a loss.

  That was because Tengda Corporation had only invested fifty to sixty million yuan in Thriller Hostel so far. What’s more, they had done three projects!

  The three projects – Desperate Escape, Haunted House Nightmare, Ultimate Horror – included the Golden Maze in the garden area, the maid cafe, and so on. They used the original factory, so they were mainly modified and set up in the factory.

  Tens of millions was enough to create a terrifying effect.

  The supporting facilities around the three projects were paid by Boss Li and the others.

  Previously, he had spent fifty to sixty million yuan on three projects. Now, he had to spend a hundred million yuan on one project?

  The cost and working period of this project was much higher than the previous three projects!

  What kind of project was this?

  “Boss Pei, are we building a haunted house this time?” Chen Kangtuo probed.

  Pei Qian shook his head. “No.

  Back then, Pei Qian had decided to build a haunted house mainly for two purposes: to lose money, and to scare Ruan Guangjian.

  However, he had not achieved either of his goals in the current state of Thriller Hostel!

  His second goal to scare Ruan Guangjian was a total failure. He was having the time of his life in Ultimate Horror instead.

  Wouldn’t he be letting him off easy if he were to build a new haunted house?

  What’s more, the more they invested in haunted houses, the more likely they would be able to attract horror enthusiasts from all over the world.

  Thriller Hostel was already quite famous among the group of horror enthusiasts. If they spent another hundred million yuan on renovating the new haunted house project, its scale would probably be comparable to a super-large haunted house like Wushan Mental Hospital. It would become the largest haunted house in the country in a single leap. The consequences would be unimaginable.

  Thus, after some consideration, Pei Qian decided to put the haunted house aside and spend the hundred million yuan on other projects.

  The reason why he set such a high budget was mainly because of the long working period.

  The project this time would take two cycles which would take almost a year. Who knew how much money he would earn this year? He had to set the budget higher so that he would not be caught when he had to spend more money.

  Chen Kangtuo heaved a sigh of relief when he heard Boss Pei say that it was not a haunted house project.

  Lucky!

  That was because the design of the Thriller Hostel had almost drained him and Hao Qiong of their ideas. If he spent another hundred million yuan to build a haunted house, it would at most be a large haunted house like the Mt. Fog mental hospital. There might not be anything new.

  Doing other projects would also enrich the entertainment variety of Thriller Hostel.

  Chen Kangtuo asked, “Boss Pei, what exactly is the project this time?”

  Pei Qian had already thought about it. He immediately answered, “It’s a ro
ller coaster, but it’s not a traditional roller coaster.”

  Chen Kangtuo and Hao Qiong were confused and continued listening intently.

  Chapter 877 - Indoor Roller Coaster Proposal

  After some thought, Pei Qian said, “First, this project must be far away from the current Thriller Hostel.”

  “Second, the roller coaster must be as low as possible. It must be less than thirty meters.

  “Finally… there should be a track randomizer for the roller coaster.

  Pei Qian saw the confusion on Chen Kangtuo and Hao Qiong’s faces intensify after he spoke about his three requests.

  Pei Qian could not help but feel happy. Confused? That was exactly right!

  The fact that they were far away from the park of Thriller Hostel meant that tourists would have to walk for a long time to get to the new project. That was a geographical deterrent.

  The higher the height of the roller coaster, the longer the journey, and the more winding the route, the more exciting it would be. On the other hand, if the roller coaster’s height was very low, it would be very difficult to play any tricks no matter how they designed it.

  Logically speaking, it should not be a problem for them to build a roller coaster that was sixty to seventy meters high if they were to spend this hundred million yuan. They could also play other tricks.

  The crux of roller coasters was that they had to be tall and long.

  That was because the excitement that passengers felt from riding roller coasters mainly came from a special acceleration experience. For example, the feeling of weightlessness when they fell vertically or when the roller coaster did a parabolic motion, the super acceleration like a sports car, or the spiral tumbling in the air to make the human body suffer a greater acceleration…

  It was the most exciting part of the rollercoaster ride.