The main character Qin Yi wasn’t a child overwhelmed with sympathy, but a clear-headed, iron-hearted soldier.
Influenced by the Hive Mind, he naturally developed feelings of affinity and sympathy toward the Zerg. However, he could use his rational thinking to resist and counter these feelings of closeness, unhesitatingly deceiving the Zerg and ordering the extinction of their entire species. This was exactly the behavior a protagonist should exhibit from a Chinese perspective.
Of course, this made the final ending even more ironic.
If it were a naive protagonist advocating for peaceful coexistence with the Zerg, then ending up among them, audiences would only consider him a “human traitor,” a fool, with no sympathy whatsoever.
But Qin Yi was completely on humanity’s side, yet through misfortunate circumstances, he was betrayed and reluctantly became the Zerg overlord. This made it difficult for audiences to feel any disgust toward him.
So, if Lu Zhiyao were to evaluate this film, he felt it was remarkable in three aspects.
First, it reinterpreted a classic sci-fi theme through a Chinese cultural lens. For domestic audiences, this was a story that most people found aligned with their values.
Second, with such massive investment and numerous special effects shots, it pushed domestic sci-fi cinema to new heights. Regardless of whether it profited or lost money at the box office, it would definitely leave a significant mark in the history of Chinese sci-fi cinema.
Lastly, this unique presentation style was distinctly different from other films—a truly novel attempt.
Lu Zhiyao was the sole main actor in the entire film. If his acting fell apart, the whole movie would collapse. But if his performance could carry the film, his portrayal spanning over an hour with multiple emotional transitions would become a classic in cinema history.
No outdoor scenes, all green screen—though this significantly increased production costs, it was also a way to maximize strengths while minimizing weaknesses.
Currently in China, companies specializing in game special effects were numerous and technically skilled, while film special effects companies were few and technically inferior. Plus, Tenda Group itself had more technical expertise in gaming.
Since this was the case, intentionally avoiding extensive live-action shooting—using just a space pod and green screen for all combat scenes rendered entirely through special effects—could best ensure optimal results.
Additionally, Lu Zhiyao vaguely sensed that this film had intricate connections to the gameplay of “Mission and Choice.”
However, Lu Zhiyao himself wasn’t a hardcore gamer, having only superficial knowledge of games and virtually no understanding of the details of “Mission and Choice.” He would have to wait for the game’s release and film’s premiere to understand the relationship between the two.
After finishing this final script segment, Lu Zhiyao was more convinced he’d accepted the right role.
Think about it—could Mr. Pei’s project have any issues? Each one was definitely a classic!
If “Better Tomorrow” was a sci-fi-looking film that actually discussed human nature and social systems, then “Mission and Choice” was a genuine sci-fi film.
Moreover, this sci-fi film demanded even higher acting standards from Lu Zhiyao. If performed well, it would definitely advance his path toward becoming Best Actor!
Thinking of this, Lu Zhiyao felt energized throughout his body and continued refining his acting skills before the mirror.
…
February 6th, Monday.
After waking up and having breakfast, Pei Qian headed directly to Panic Hostel by car.
Today was the Lantern Festival, but since it wasn’t a legal holiday, there was no day off. However, Pei Qian specifically instructed Fish Takeaway to add tangyuan (glutinous rice balls) to employees’ work lunches as a special holiday gesture.
Today Pei Qian was visiting Panic Hostel for a major assignment for Chen Kangtuo.
Panic Hostel had been completed last July with three attractions: Desperate Escape, Haunted House Nightmare, and Ultimate Horror.
After opening, Mr. Li and others promoted it throughout Jingzhou and even Handong Province. Zhang Wang promoted it through nationwide shared phone booths. Various online content creators’ videos generated another wave of publicity. After “Mr. Pei’s Lifestyle” went viral, many people came to Jingzhou to challenge this thrilling and exciting attraction.
In short, as a haunted house, Panic Hostel had become nationally famous. When mentioning haunted houses in Jingzhou and even all of Handong Province, people’s first thought was Panic Hostel. Many young people traveled from other cities specifically to experience it.
But half a year had passed, and Panic Hostel’s foot traffic had declined. The distance to recovering the initial construction investment remained considerable.
The fundamental reason was the lack of cluster effects.
Large amusement parks often had dozens of attractions, featuring not only haunted houses but also extreme thrill rides like roller coasters and giant swings, as well as gentler rides suitable for children like carousels.
These large parks catered to all ages, and a single visit offered multiple attractions, drawing more visitors.
While Panic Hostel’s attractions were enjoyable and had some replayability compared to other haunted houses, horror enthusiasts would still get bored after three or four visits and wouldn’t come daily.
So, the excitement naturally waned.
Pei Qian thought this was a positive sign.
Looking back at Panic Hostel six months after opening, while it was currently profitable, recoverling the initial investment remained indefinitely distant—possibly requiring years, decades, or even longer.
This proved the “Wonders Ruin Nations” strategy was correct!
Now Pei Qian had more and more system funds. He could essentially continue major construction at Panic Hostel and spend heavily again.
…
Pei Qian arrived at Panic Hostel’s office area and met Chen Kangtuo and Hao Qiong.
It was Monday morning, and there weren’t many visitors in the entire Panic Hostel complex. Chen Kangtuo and Hao Qiong were in the office handling routine matters.
After becoming Panic Hostel’s manager, Chen Kangtuo didn’t spend all his time inside the haunted houses. Besides maintaining regular operations and handling emergencies, his main energy focused on continuously improving visitor experiences.
Though all three attractions were already highly polished, some details still had room for improvement, and the venue’s structures and decorations could be enhanced further.
Chen Kangtuo spent all day at Panic Hostel, becoming as familiar with it as his own backyard. During idle times, he proposed small improvements and adjustments.
So far, Panic Hostel offered visitors a much better experience than when it first opened.
Seeing Mr. Pei, both Chen Kangtuo and Hao Qiong felt slightly excited.
Mr. Pei hasn’t forgotten us!
Since Panic Hostel officially opened, Mr. Pei hadn’t visited for half a year. If not for the massive investment in this place, Chen Kangtuo and Hao Qiong almost worried they were abandoned pawns in Mr. Pei’s strategy.
Now Mr. Pei had finally arrived, clearly with new assignments!
Pei Qian sat on the office sofa, sipped some tea, and didn’t bother with pleasantries, getting straight to the point.
“Nothing special today, just here to assign you a new task.”
“I’m giving you one hundred million in funding, a one-year timeline, to build a new attraction at Panic Hostel.”
Chen Kangtuo and Hao Qiong were instantly stunned.
What?
One hundred million in funding??
Both fell into confusion.
Because Tenda Group’s total investment in Panic Hostel so far was only fifty to sixty million, and that covered three attractions!
Desperate Escape, Haunted House Nightmare, and Ultimate Horror—these three attractions, including the Golden Maze and maid café in the complex, all utilized existing factory buildings, mainly involving interior renovation and set design.
Tens of millions was already sufficient to create top-tier horror effects.
As for the surrounding facilities, Mr. Li and others funded those.
Previously, three attractions cost fifty to sixty million. Now one attraction would cost one hundred million?
This single attraction’s budget and timeline exceeded all three previous ones combined!
What kind of attraction was this?
Chen Kangtuo tentatively asked, “Mr. Pei, is this another haunted house?”
Pei Qian shook his head: “No.”
Initially, Pei Qian decided to build haunted houses for two purposes: first, to lose money; second, to scare Ruan Guangjian.
But in Panic Hostel’s current state, neither goal was achieved!
The second goal especially failed spectacularly. Ruan Guangjian wasn’t scared at all; instead, he thoroughly enjoyed “Ultimate Horror.”
Building another haunted house would just continue benefiting that guy?
Moreover, the bigger the haunted house investment, the more likely it would attract horror enthusiasts worldwide.
Panic Hostel already had a reputation among horror enthusiasts. Investing another hundred million in new haunted house attractions might rival massive projects like Fog Mountain Mental Hospital, catapulting it to become China’s largest haunted house complex—the consequences would be disastrous.
So, after careful consideration, Pei Qian decided to shelve the haunted house plans and spend this hundred million on different attractions.
The high budget was mainly due to the long timeline.
This project would span two cycles, nearly a year. Who knows how much money could be earned during that time? Better set a high budget to avoid frantic spending rushes later.
Hearing Mr. Pei say it wasn’t a haunted house, Chen Kangtuo felt slightly relieved.
Good!
Designing Panic Hostel’s three haunted house attractions had already exhausted most of his and Hao Qiong’s creative ideas. Spending a hundred million on another haunted house would at best create something like Fog Mountain Mental Hospital—unlikely to offer anything truly innovative.
Different attractions would diversify Panic Hostel’s entertainment options.
Chen Kangtuo asked, “Mr. Pei, what specific attraction are we building?”
Pei Qian had already decided and immediately answered: “A roller coaster, but not a traditional roller coaster.”
Both Chen Kangtuo and Hao Qiong were puzzled, listening intently.