274: Chapter 274 Everyone Goes to the Factory to Tighten Screws

The news about the project establishment of "the wandering earth" eventually spread within the industry.

Su Zhe's bold declaration about 'handcrafting' heavy-industry sci-fi in an abandoned factory building, while causing quite a stir within the studio, was seen by outsiders more as an angry, desperate joke.

After all.

Sci-fi movies.

Those are the jewels in the crown of Western film industry, visual fortresses built with countless dollars and the most cutting-edge computing power.

You want to challenge Hollywood with a few welding machines and some second-hand steel?

This is even more absurd than Don Quixote charging at windmills with his lance!

...

Two days later.

Jinyuan Building, the CEO's office.

Sister Liu, holding a few thin documents, pushed open the door with an ashen face.

She slammed the documents heavily onto Su Zhe's desk, her chest heaving violently, clearly furious.

"Su Zhe, take a look.

This is the joint quotation sent to us by the top three special effects companies in the country."

Su Zhe picked up his teacup and glanced at it nonchalantly.

Just one glance.

The smile in his eyes instantly vanished, replaced by a gaze as sharp as a blade.

That quotation listed numbers that could only be described as robbery.

[CG model rendering for heavy transport vehicle long shot: 5 million/second]

[Miniature landscape composite for planetary engine: 10 million/second]

[Close-up dynamic rendering for single-soldier exoskeleton armor: 1 million/shot]

Is this even a quotation?

This is outright daylight robbery!

By this standard, forget about burning through all the 2 billion in cash flow Su Zhe had on hand; even doubling that amount wouldn't satisfy the appetite of these vampires.

"I ran all over the top special effects studios in Beijing and Shanghai yesterday."

Sister Liu said through gritted teeth, "These people are clearly in cahoots!

They know we've offended the traditional film capital, and they know Director James from Hollywood is suppressing us.

To curry favor with the capital and their Hollywood sugar daddies, they've directly formed a price alliance and are jacking up the prices!"

Sister Liu grew angrier as she spoke, pointing to the final line of the attached note on the quotation:

"Look at what else they wrote!"

Following Sister Liu's finger.

Su Zhe saw that line dripping with heavy sarcasm and condescension: [Friendly reminder: Sci-fi movies are a game of capital and cutting-edge technology. If country bumpkins can't afford to play, we suggest returning to the web series circle to keep filming rural comedies. Don't waste everyone's time.]

Looking at these words.

The office fell into a brief silence.

Sister Liu expected Su Zhe to fly into a rage, to flip the table.

However.

Su Zhe merely stared at that quotation for a full half minute.

Then.

He smiled.

A bitter, angry smile.

"One million for an armor shot?"

Su Zhe's slender fingers tapped lightly on the desk, emitting a cold 'tap-tap' sound.

"They dare ask me for a million just for creating a pile of virtual code and building a fake 3D model?

Have these compradors been at it so long they actually think they hold the core technology?"

Su Zhe picked up that quotation.

Gripped it with both hands.

With a loud 'rip', he tore it directly in two.

Then crumpled it into a ball and tossed it accurately into the wastepaper basket.

"Country bumpkins?"

Su Zhe stood up, straightened the collar of his windbreaker, a wild flame of heavy industry burning in his eyes: "Today, I'll show them what an industrial demon is!

Sister Liu, notify all the actors.

Pack your luggage, assemble downstairs by the bus.

Our sci-fi blockbuster starts today!"

...

One hour later.

At the foot of Jinyuan Building.

A rented bus was parked by the roadside.

At this moment.

Actors who had become famous nationwide through "i am not a medicine god" and "the knockout" were boarding the bus one after another.

Their mindsets were already vastly different from before.

They were now the hottest stars in the Chinese Entertainment Industry, the big names who walk the red carpet as the finale!

Especially Yin Hua, who had just won the Golden Dragon Award for Best Supporting Actor.

Today, he had meticulously styled an extremely refined Korean semi-permanent hairstyle, wore a well-tailored high-end suit, and had a pair of gold-rimmed glasses with a golden sheen perched on the bridge of his nose.

He was also wearing expensive cologne.

He carefully cradled that Golden Dragon Award trophy, afraid of dinging it.

"Brother Song."

Yin Hua walked to the back and sat down next to Zhang Song, the newly crowned Best Actor, lowering his voice excitedly: "What level of trailers do you think Director Su will arrange for us filming this sci-fi blockbuster?

I've seen those Hollywood sci-fi crews; actors drink coffee every day in fully air-conditioned, dust-free green screen studios, relying solely on imagination to act.

It's finally our turn to enjoy that kind of life!"

Zhang Song adjusted his black-framed glasses.

Although he had also changed into decent clothes, his eyes still held a hint of wariness.

"Hua Zi, don't celebrate too soon."

Zhang Song glanced at Su Zhe's back sitting in the front passenger seat and said in a low voice, "When have you ever seen Director Su arrange a cushy life for us?

I have a feeling the direction this bus is heading doesn't look like it's towards a high-end studio."

The bus drove out of the bustling city center.

It went further and further into the outskirts.

The scenery outside the window gradually changed from skyscrapers to desolate weeds and stretches of abandoned factory areas.

The road also started becoming bumpy and full of potholes.

BANG!

The bus jolted violently.

The Golden Dragon Award trophy in Yin Hua's hand almost flew out and hit the window.

"Ouch! Driver, slow down! This is pure gold... gold-plated!"

Yin Hua hugged the trophy protectively. Looking at the desolate, uninhabited scenery outside, a wave of extremely ominous foreboding suddenly surged in his heart.

This doesn't look right!

This isn't the way to film a sci-fi movie!

This is clearly heading for a wilderness survival show!

SSSHHH...

Accompanied by the piercing sound of an air brake.

The bus stopped before a massive, rusted iron gate.

Above the iron gate hung a weathered sign: [Red Star Heavy Machinery Processing Factory (Abandoned)].

"We're here, everyone off the bus!"

Su Zhe picked up a megaphone and bellowed with full force.

Everyone got off the bus, carrying their luggage, full of suspicion.

The moment they stepped off.

A pungent mix of engine oil, rust, and the lingering metallic dust of years hit them directly in the face.

It made Yin Hua cough repeatedly, and he hurriedly covered his nose.

"Di... Director Su."

Yin Hua looked disdainfully at the cement ground beneath his feet, stained with black grease, afraid of dirtying his tens-of-thousands-of-yuan leather shoes: "Where's our green screen studio?

Where's the Hollywood-level special effects team?

You're not telling me this rundown factory is our set, are you?"

Not only Yin Hua, but Zhang Song, Gao Lan, and others also wore looks of bewilderment.

This place, forget filming a sci-fi movie,

it's too hardcore even for a horror film set!

Su Zhe stood before that massive abandoned iron gate.

Turned around.

Looked at these employees still basking in their 'big star' halos.

The corner of his mouth lifted into a devilish smile.

"Green screen? Special effects team?"

Su Zhe sneered, waving a hand grandly: "Here, we don't need that kind of deceptive stuff!

Aren't those domestic special effects companies trying to fleece me? Aren't they laughing at us for not being able to afford sci-fi?

Today, I'll teach them a lesson.

what real hardcore sci-fi is!"

Su Zhe walked to the factory entrance and kicked open the half-closed, rusted door.

With a loud 'BOOM'.

Sunlight poured into the dim interior of the factory.

Everyone focused their gaze.

Inside the massive factory building, spanning over ten thousand square meters.

There were no cameras, no reflectors.

What filled it were tons of second-hand steel pipes, thick hydraulic push rods, industrial gears scattered on the ground, and piles of aviation-grade aluminum alloy scrap, resembling a giant military-industrial waste recycling station.

"What... what is this for?"

Zhang Song swallowed hard, sensing things were not simple.

Su Zhe picked up a black canvas bag nearby.

Walked up to Yin Hua.

"Hua Zi."

Su Zhe patted Yin Hua's stiffly tailored suit shoulder: "Didn't you just win the Golden Dragon Award for Best Supporting Actor?

Feeling like you've reached the peak of life, in need of some new challenges?"

Yin Hua's heart sank.

Oh no.

Whenever Su Zhe used this tone, someone was bound to suffer!

"Di... Director Su, I don't think..."

Before Yin Hua could refuse.

Su Zhe directly unzipped the canvas bag.

Ruthlessly.

Threw its contents into Yin Hua's arms.

Yin Hua fumbled to catch it.

Looked down.

It was a pitch-black, heavy-duty industrial welding mask emitting a pungent plastic smell.

And a hefty metal cutter.

"Starting today, aside from reading the script!"

Su Zhe's voice echoed in the vast factory, carrying an irresistible authority and madness: "Everyone enters the factory to tighten screws!

We're not buying special effects anymore!

We're welding real armor ourselves!"

Dead silence.

Complete dead silence throughout the area.

A breeze blew through the factory, stirring up the rust dust on the ground.

The former 'Melancholy Prince', the newly crowned Golden Dragon Best Supporting Actor Yin Hua, stared blankly at the black mask in his hands and the rusted steel pipes all over the ground.

His brain froze for a full ten seconds.

Then.

Above this abandoned heavy-industry factory.

Erupted the most despairing scream of his life: "Director Su!

I'm an actor!

I'm an award-winning serious actor!

You making me slaughter pigs at an abattoir was one thing, but now you actually want me to learn welding?!"