Chapter 433: You must be sweating buckets, little sister! |
Keanu Reeves.
When the neon lights illuminated that gaunt yet sharply defined face.
The chat barrage froze for a full two seconds!
Immediately after, it exploded instantly!
'Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaat——???
This! I'll be damned! Huh???'
"Keanu Reeves! Holy shit! Holy shit holy shit holy shit!"
'Are you for real, Little Yellow?!'
'No wonder Legend Pictures is involved in production! They're definitely making a movie!'
"Ahhhhhhhhhhh—so damn handsome I can't—!!!"
'Wait? Movie pre-hype, right? No wonder this DLC is free!'
'What kind of dream crossover is this? You call this a DLC trailer? Who hires Keanu Reeves for a game DLC trailer?!
I'm completely dumbfounded...
.....
Correct!
This DLC trailer, titled 【John Wick】, was indeed starring Hollywood's famous actor Keanu Reeves!
And just as the players guessed!
This trailer isn't just for Payday's DLC—it simultaneously serves as the background prequel for the film of the same name, "John Wick (Chinese title: John Wick)"!
In this DLC, the about-to-retire John Wick will undertake the final mission of his top-tier assassin career—rescuing the Continental Hotel's front desk manager, Charon.
Through the DLC, players will gain preliminary understanding of the John Wick universe, better setting the stage for the subsequent official movie.
Keanu Reeves taking the lead role undoubtedly delivered an enormous surprise to everyone.
After all, Keanu, hailed as one of the world's sexiest men, practically appeals to everyone regardless of gender.
He's both the mysteriously elegant Neo from The Matrix and the roguishly unrestrained Constantine from the film version of Hellblazer.
This time, even though Keanu changed his previous clean, refined image by growing a full beard and shoulder-length center-parted hair.
He still couldn't conceal his sharply defined features.
In fact, because he's portraying a top-tier assassin this time, Keanu's aura has become more fierce—composed yet carrying a decisive, lethal sharpness, adding three parts of mature charm to his personal appeal.
Exploded!
The chat barrage directly exploded!
An unprecedented movie trailer-style game promotional video!
Genuine global A-list movie star participation!
Using a game to set up a movie!
This is an unprecedented dream crossover—something even Resident Evil, quite successful in game-film crossovers, hasn't achieved!
Royal flush opening move!
It completely shocked the players.
And also completely stunned Shen Miaomiao.
Looking at Keanu Reeves' weathered yet sharply handsome face.
Looking at the overwhelmingly explosive chat barrage flooding the screen.
Then looking at Gu Sheng's satisfied smile, seeming to have anticipated this outcome all along.
Silence.
Silence belonged to Shen Miaomiao today.
[They spent big money buying licenses, developing derivative games, only to fail miserably and lose on both fronts]
[We develop games to test our engine, create derivative movies, reverse-export to earn box office, flourishing in both games and films]
The words she boldly spoke months ago aiming for losses have once again manifested into reality through her speech!
Heaven knows!
Shen Miaomiao felt completely unwell!
My plan was theoretically airtight, right?!
After all, Old Gu and the others' original plan was to purchase ready-made film/TV licenses and derive games from them!
Not to boast, but for Old Gu, this couldn't be called completely unchallenging—more like making money with his eyes closed.
I just wanted to earn some pocket money for my little treasury! Lose some renovation funds! That's reasonable, right?!
So I seized the pretext, saying we'd show CloudPower a lesson in real corporate warfare's ruthlessness, teaching them proper techniques, using games to derive movies, using high-difficulty maneuvers to deliver a little Golden Wind shock.
Buddy!
Game! Deriving! Movie!
Looking across the global gaming industry, the only currently somewhat successful example is Resident Evil!
And that's built upon Resident Evil already reaching its fourth installment and being globally popular!
But look at us?
A test project with investment not exceeding $100 million—what qualifies it to derive a movie?
By then, losing seven or eight million while I take home hundreds of millions in rebates shouldn't be a problem, right?
Our plan might not be flawless, but it's at least ninety percent certain, right?
Result!
I already prepared sacks to haul money!
And you pull out Keanu Reeves?!
Hollywood? Saturn Award winner? The Matrix? World's sexiest male actor?
"You...???"
Shen Miaomiao looked toward Gu Sheng on the sofa, her words stumbling:
"This is... this derivative movie?!"
"Mhmm,"
Gu Sheng nodded, very satisfied with this outcome:
"So, doesn't it look pretty good?"
As he spoke!
Gu Sheng stretched lazily, then crossed his legs, speaking with smug composure:
"Have to admit, that 'proper techniques teaching' idea you mentioned earlier was really brilliant,"
"Honestly, if not for that 'proper techniques teaching' idea, Payday might not even have happened."
Gu Sheng wasn't exaggerating.
The reason he made Payday truly was because of Little Nezha's "proper techniques teaching" concept.
Yes.
If you ever lived or currently live in Gu Sheng's previous parallel universe, you'd easily understand—the 【John Wick】DLC wasn't Gu Sheng's original creation; it genuinely existed within Payday's DLC collection.
Except in Gu Sheng's previous life's timeline, the John Wick DLC belonged to derivative content collaboration with the movie.
But in this current world, Gu Sheng swapped their positions—using the first major DLC content to derive the movie project.
Simply put, it's 【making the whole dumpling feast just for this dipping sauce】.
Shen Miaomiao's face turned green!
Although clearly aware Gu Sheng wasn't mocking but genuinely praising her ingenious idea for its great contribution.
Combined with her originally smug thinking and the current situation, Shen Miaomiao still couldn't help grinding her teeth slightly.
Gu Sheng's every word and action seemed to interrogate her very soul and self-respect—
Sweating bullets yet, little sister?
Most infuriatingly, this guy specifically explained the actual situation to ensure she fully understood—
Actually, as early as Payday's project establishment phase, Gu Sheng had contacted Thomas from Legend Pictures and quickly reached cooperation.
Thomas is a veteran Golden Wind player, also a standard 'Sheng fanboy', plus their previous Pacific Rim × Titanfall collaboration was hugely successful.
Now, when Gu Sheng proposed joint movie-game development, Thomas was naturally one hundred percent enthusiastic.
Immediately waving his hand grandly, he assembled a cast lineup according to Gu Sheng's requirements that would make Shen Miaomiao faint.
Besides lead actor Keanu Reeves.
There's also Alfie Allen, who won Emmy Best Supporting Actor for Game of Thrones;
Golden Globe Best Actor winner Ian McShane, who played Blackbeard in Pirates of the Caribbean;
Even Hollywood superstar Willem Dafoe, who played the old Green Goblin in Spider-Man.
Shen Miaomiao felt like dying.
Meanwhile, Gu Sheng was brimming with enthusiasm:
"Keanu is highly interested in this film. According to Thomas, the specialized training for Keanu has been very successful so far,"
"Two and a half months of dedicated training—Legend Pictures is fully confident about this shoot,"
"Believing it will definitely deliver an unprecedented visual sensory experience for audiences who love action thriller films."
After speaking!
Gu Sheng smiled, stood up, and patted Shen Miaomiao's head.
Clearly, he didn't need further understanding of the DLC's initial feedback.
Fist-to-flesh action choreography, plus blood-splattering visual stimulation, and infinitely close-to-real brand-new sensory experience.
Seeing the small reveals the whole picture.
Through players' attitudes toward this DLC trailer, Gu Sheng could roughly gauge audience reactions to John Wick.
Nothing else.
Just four words—
......
"...Death throes struggle!"
Simultaneously!
Neon Komera!
Closing the tablet, Seiichi Nakamura seemed particularly pleased, offering his assessment.
Beside him, Ito Suke was startled, looking at Seiichi Nakamura with some surprise, not quite understanding why he said that.
Death throes struggle?
Referring to Golden Wind?
That shouldn't be right?
Such high-quality trailer, Keanu Reeves' star power as lead, plus Legend Pictures collaboration.
Whether from topic popularity or players' shocked reactions, how does this DLC relate to "death throes struggle"?
Isn't this clearly Golden Wind's move into film/TV market development?
However!
As if sensing Ito Suke's confusion, Seiichi Nakamura chuckled lightly.
Then, pouring Ito Suke a cup of tea, he slowly explained:
"The more it's like this, the more it indicates Golden Wind is on the brink of death throes struggle—"
What kind of game is Payday?
A multiplayer co-op 【test】shooter game.
The key lies in "test".
Undoubtedly!
This game's purpose for existing is serving as the carrier for Golden Engine's alpha test.
"And a game used for testing is now urgently releasing a free DLC,"
"Moreover, this DLC will lead into a movie jointly invested and supervised by Golden Wind and Legend Pictures,"
"What does this indicate?"
Seiichi Nakamura's gaze held profound meaning.
The corner of his mouth involuntarily lifted, eyes shining with penetrating insight:
"This indicates Golden Wind is focusing energy where it shouldn't be invested,"
"After all,"
"Only three and a half months remain until Huaguo's C-Expo."
Hiss——!!!
Hearing this.
Ito Suke couldn't help drawing a sharp breath, understanding Seiichi Nakamura's meaning.
Right.
Currently, only about one quarter remains until Huaguo's C-Expo opens.
So logically, what should Golden Wind be doing now?
They should intensify Golden Engine's technological breakthroughs.
They should fully devote themselves to C-Expo project development.
They should continuously announce development progress—real or not—at least maintaining discussion popularity before C-Expo.
They should send signals to the outside world—we're working hard for this Huaguo C-Expo.
But!
Golden Wind isn't doing this.
Instead, they're focusing on a test game!
Even deriving a movie from this test game!
Forcing a relatively unimportant project to receive treatment befitting key projects—even exceeding key project treatment!
And this can only mean one thing—
Golden Wind has already reached a dead end in engine development.
Although Payday is nominally an alpha test, it actually represents Golden Engine's limit already.
"Even the cleverest housewife can't cook without rice,"
Seiichi Nakamura concluded:
"Even Gu Sheng cannot break through engine industrial technology's limitations, so they're forced into death throes agitation and development on the game's derivative projects,"
"And this,"
"Is our best opportunity to launch an attack."