Entertainment: You're asked to make a graduation project, but you're asked to film Ultrama

Chapter 8 The History of the Celestial Master Qi'ao

After their meeting, Zhao Rui kept another group of people behind.

"Director team, special effects team, props team... okay, you guys stay behind for a bit..."

"What the hell is this company doing, keeping you and your bunch of scum? A team of hundreds, all these years, where's the technological barrier? How did you manage to get so easily outmaneuvered?"

"You department heads... you'll be living at the company this month. Show me the footage frame by frame! Two months is the deadline. If they have it, we need it within two months too."

"If we don't have enough manpower, we'll hire more people; if we don't have enough technology, we'll hire R&D staff, regardless of cost... Understand?"

"Don't make me lose control like this again."

The man surnamed Zhao is not having an easy time either. As the CEO, he is just a high-level employee. He will face questions from the shareholders at the board meeting tomorrow morning.

……

In this parallel world, the rise of the Celestial Venerable Qiao is actually a controversial story of "finding a bargain".

Thirty years ago, Tsuburaya Productions was facing a financial crisis. In an effort to survive, they signed the infamous 1976 Agreement with Thailand's Sinpot.

That agreement was a double-edged sword. While it solved Tsuburaya Productions' immediate problem, it also completely severed the overseas rights to Ultraman.

As UMC's authorized distributor in mainland China, Qiao Tianzun's acquisition of the copyright was legal. Even Gu Nan cannot deny this.

The Supreme Court's judgment is right there.

But legal does not mean reasonable, much less "deliberate".

What did Qiao Tianzun do in the more than ten years after acquiring the copyright?

They edited together clips from the original Ultraman series, added low-quality Mandarin dubbing, and created a so-called "official Ultraman endorsement" GG.

The toys they produced had rough molds, overflowing paint, and some Ultraman figures even had their timers painted crookedly.

They also licensed a bunch of random browser games, letting the Ultra Brothers wield dragon-slaying swords to slay monsters in the games, with the screen filled with "Brothers, come and slay me!"

Under their management, the "Ultraman" IP did not disappear in mainland China, but it was completely reduced to a synonym for "childish" and "cheap".

When adults mention Ultraman, their first reaction is: "That's just a way to trick kids into buying toys."

Even among today's young people, nobody pays any attention to this IP.

This is why Gu Nan felt so heartbroken when he saw the special effects environment of this world after his rebirth.

It's a good IP, but unfortunately it ended up in the hands of a pork seller.

……

at the same time.

A creative park in Jinghai.

"Achoo!"

Gu Nan, who was giving Su Zhe acting instructions, suddenly sneezed.

"Brother Nan, have you caught a cold?" Su Zhe asked with concern.

"It's nothing, I guess someone's been talking about me." Gu Nan rubbed his nose and smiled nonchalantly.

At that moment, a webpage was displayed on his computer screen.

That's the official website of "Qiao Tianzun".

The page design is flashy, with red and yellow promotional images everywhere. A huge banner hangs prominently on the homepage:

[Officially Licensed! Ultraman Six Brothers Deluxe Gift Pack, Special Double Eleven Price: Only 99 Yuan!]

Looking at those classic but poorly rendered Showa-era Ultraman images, Gu Nan's eyes held no hatred, only tension...

"The Celestial Master of Wonders..."

Gu Nan muttered to himself.

He had specifically researched this company two years ago when he decided to buy the Heisei copyright.

As a reborn individual, he knew the company inside and out.

They weren't some heinous villains; they were just a group of pure, emotionless businessmen.

From a business perspective, they prioritize maximizing profits. If low-cost, reskinned toys can generate huge profits, why spend tens of millions to produce a tokusatsu drama that might lose money?

This is shortsightedness and a limitation of our times.

"Brother Nan, are you watching the Celestial Master Qi'ao?"

Chen Bo, who was in charge of operations, came over, saw the content on the screen, and curled his lip. "Tsk tsk tsk, these bastards, they're hogging the job. They have such good Showa era resources, and the stuff they produce is all garbage. I see everyone online is cursing them."

"Criticism is one thing, but their size and influence are undeniable."

"It's not that they lack a keen sense of smell; their marketing team has probably already realized that we are a potential competitor and a threat..."

"No, it might even be faster; it has already reacted..."

Gu Nan closed the webpage, turned his chair around, and looked at his colleagues in the studio. "Compared to them, we're like ants compared to elephants. I'm afraid there will be some negative comments online soon."

"You mean they'll wage a propaganda war against us? What should we do then?" Chen Bo asked with some worry. "It seems that Showa Party members have already jumped out online to accuse us of ruining the original work."

"As expected."

Gu Nan appeared very calm.

He knew all too well the tricks of this kind of capital; it was nothing more than treating people to drinks, accepting them as lackeys, or beheading them.

But Gu Nan remained calm.

Although he was clearly aware that the opposing voices came from the manipulation of the Celestial Master of Wonders, he still needed to restrain himself and did not want to immediately push the Celestial Master of Wonders to the opposite side.

"Chen Bo, remember this."

Gu Nan tapped his fingers lightly on the table, his eyes gleaming with a maturity beyond his years. "In this industry, there are no eternal enemies, only eternal interests."

"Super Celestial Master holds the past of Ultraman, while we hold the future..."

"We're competitors now because we're not strong enough yet. But one day, when Ultraman Tiga becomes a nationwide sensation, so popular that even they can't ignore it..."

Gu Nan smiled, a hint of slyness in his smile.

"Perhaps we could even collaborate."

"A collaboration?" Chen Bo's eyes widened. "A collaboration with those guys who sell plastic figurines? Brother Nan, are you crazy?"

Gu Nan stood up and walked to the whiteboard.

In his mind, the thrilling theatrical version from his previous life—"Ultraman 8 Brothers"—came to mind.

That was an epic scene of the Showa Four (Original Generation, Seven, Jack, and Ace) and the Heisei Four (Tiga, Dyna, Gaia, and Mebius) appearing together.

In this world, the Showa era copyright is in the hands of the Priest, while the Heisei era copyright is in his own hands.

To recreate that feeling and make the dream of "everyone coming together" come true, the two companies will inevitably need to join forces in the future.

Of course, the premise is——

Gu Nan must first inflict pain and subdue the Qi Ao Celestials, making them acknowledge that "Chasing Light Studio" is a giant on par with them, not an ant that can be crushed at will.

"Our immediate priority is to find companies and investors who can support us, and to continue filming the series to maintain its popularity."

Gu Nan picked up a marker and wrote down the filming plan for the fourth episode on the whiteboard.

"As long as our content is strong enough, any online trolls are just paper tigers. Everyone can judge for themselves whether it's good or bad."

"This episode is called 'Goodbye, Earth'."

"We want to use even more intense emotions to break through the audience's defenses."

Gu Nan turned around and looked at the team that was all ready to go.

"Since Celestial Master Qiao wants to compete with us, then let's show them what the true... spirit of tokusatsu is."

……

That evening, in the Bilibili comment section.

Just as Gu Nan had predicted, some strange comments began to emerge.

[Is this the hyped-up Ultraman Tiga? The visuals are so dark, the monsters are so scary, won't kids have nightmares after watching this?]

[I've reported it. There's even a scene of a building being blown up! Isn't this promoting violence? I suggest taking it down.]

I still miss the old Ultraman series, simple and straightforward. This Tiga with all those fancy, convoluted settings is exhausting to watch.

Most of these comment IDs are newly registered, or are small accounts that usually only retweet giveaways.

The traces of "internet trolls" are very obvious.

But to Zhao Rui and Qi Ao Tianzun's surprise, their actions did not attract the expected "bandwagon of haters".

Instead, it brought out a group of fiercely protective fans.

[Where did these demons and monsters come from? If you don't like it, get out! Nobody's forcing you to watch!]

[To those who say it's bloody and violent, are you a flower grown in a greenhouse? If monsters invade, do you think we'd treat you to dinner if we didn't blow up your building?]

[Still missing the old Ultraman? You mean those low-budget, five-cent special effects movies like Ultraman King? How much for one? Want to tag along, bro?]

Public opinion did not follow the script written by capital.

Because of the quality of Ultraman Tiga, the seeds of "light" have been planted among the young people of this world.