After hanging up the phone, Xiao He indeed saw the script Liu Rulan mentioned in his email.

“《Super Spacetime Confrontation》?”

Xiao He opened the script and skimmed through the summary at the beginning.

Hmm, although He Jinnian, as a director, seemed quite unreliable, the script he found was actually pretty good.

This script mainly tells the story that during the continuous advancement and development of human technology, there was once a crucial historical fork in the technological tree. Humanity stood at the most critical historical crossroads at that time.

One path was to invest the technological tree points into external attached machinery, meaning mechas, using mecha combat to confront the vastness and dangers of the universe.

The other path chose to invest the technological tree points into internal machinery, meaning human body machinery, dedicated to transforming one’s own body into a semi-mechanical organism to achieve longer lifespans and stronger abilities, attaining a mechanical ascension in another sense.

Undoubtedly, at this crucial historical juncture, humanity chose the latter and gradually moved towards extremes.

After all, the power brought by mechas was ultimately external, unable to alter humanity’s inherently frail bodies, nor could it allow humans to resist the vastness of the universe and the length of interstellar travel for long periods. The latter, however, could allow humanity to exist in another form for much longer and wield power permanently.

Yet, the final result was the constant outbreak of cyber plagues. Humanity’s technology left behind a curse for itself, and coupled with humanity’s greed, eternally embedded in the “underlying logic,” they ultimately marched towards extinction.

It was also at this time that humanity realized what a colossal mistake their extreme choice back then had been.

Mechanical ascension only uplifted the flesh, but it could not bear the weight of their own souls.

The reason humans are human is because human thought itself is elusive and irreplaceable.

They forcibly merged their thoughts and flesh with mechanical data, and the final result was being controlled by the data instead.

Could the beings at this time still be called human?

So, at this final critical moment, humanity made one last desperate gamble. They sent the mecha technology from back then back through a time machine, wanting to change that historical choice, to make humanity lean more towards high-tech mechas rather than human body mechanical modification.

But just as they tried to alter the past, the self-aware cyber virus also sensed the danger and immediately followed this spacetime jump back to the past, scattering the seeds of “human body modification” into the past along with it…

The above is actually just the overarching story background of the movie script.

The actual story takes place at that crucial historical point several hundred years ago.

At this time, human technology was blossoming in all areas. Both mechas and human body machinery had developed to a certain extent. All technology had not yet reached extreme levels, and human life was thriving.

But just this month, several scientists from the mecha faction died under mysterious circumstances. The traces at the scenes were extremely bizarre, attracting the attention of various nations.

Thus, the protagonist, a special forces soldier, is sent to protect an important scientific researcher from his own country, who is also the last important scientist in future history to have lit up the mecha-related technological tree.

The villain, without a doubt, is the “semi-mechanized assassin” who traveled through time and space.

By accident, the protagonist obtains a mecha from the future world, gaining the ability to confront the villain. Thus, the two sides engage in a great battle of mecha versus human body machinery in a game of cat and mouse.

This plot isn’t overly complex. Although the background is still a high-tech era a hundred years later, filled with mechas and advanced equipment everywhere, it doesn’t involve too much scientific knowledge. It mostly uses existing sci-fi film templates without adding too many complicated professional terms. It’s not truly hardcore science fiction.

Many of the highlights lie in the mecha battles and mechanical transformations. It belongs to the more hype-filled, orthodox heroic narrative where justice ultimately triumphs over evil. At most, it further explores some forward-looking speculations and viewpoints about humanity’s current development prospects regarding high technology and AI application.

It can be seen that what He Jinnian wants to film is that kind of pure sci-fi action blockbuster, mechanical aesthetics, violent collisions between cold metals.

Reading through the entire script, the main elements are: cyberpunk, mecha battles, violent aesthetics…

Although he’s past the age of loving fantasies, Xiao He still finds it very interesting.

Even if Liu Rulan hadn’t asked in advance, Xiao He feels that after reading the plot, he would still choose the villain role.

Because—human body machinery is really super cool!

No one can refuse such a show-off, such dazzling, such aloof mechanical physique!

Although the protagonist pilots a mecha, and the mecha setting in the script is also dazzling, tall, mighty, and imposing, during actual filming, mechas are clumsy, heavy, and very large. They can’t really move flexibly, so post-production will most likely have to rely on special effects.

The villain is different. In the early stages, the appearance is still humanoid, no different from ordinary people. When it’s time to fight, arms, legs, and other parts can instantly transform mechanically. By the grand finale, when unleashing the ultimate move, the entire body is covered in machinery, killing anyone in the way, slaying even gods, almost tearing the protagonist and his mecha into fragments together.

—What more is there to say?

Xiao He really wants to slam his bank card on He Jinnian’s table, slamming it while urging He Jinnian to hurry up. He wants to join the crew right now!

Film! Film the super villain!

Film! Film the mechanical ascension!

Film! Film the wildly dazzling, cool, domineering awesomeness!

Isn’t it just money and people?

Give, give, give, I’ll give it all to you!

Today’s main theme is spending money to buy coolness, paying to buy the chance to show off!

As for whether the movie quality might be bad?

Xiao He doesn’t care anymore.

Who didn’t have a dream of filming a tokusatsu (special effects) show when they were young?

Now it’s directly achieved in one step, surpassing tokusatsu, fulfilling his show-off coolness dreams from his chuunibyou period. It’s very intoxicating! Besides, life is only once. Being able to show off and be cool in a movie, which will be filmed and spread, and also being able to go on a killing spree, slaughtering left and right, wildly accumulating points—what more does he have to say?

Xiao He immediately called Liu Rulan to urge her: “I’ve read the script. I want the villain role, okay? Don’t let anyone else take it from me. Make it clear to Director He.”

Liu Rulan: “…Wasn’t it Teacher He just now? How did it become Director He already?”

Xiao He cleared his throat lightly, then said somewhat embarrassed, “I just want to hurry him up a bit. He’s been dawdling for so long. When will the production team start filming? I feel like I’ve rested enough. I can join the crew anytime.”

Liu Rulan was speechless: “You’re quite enthusiastic.”

“Wait. Don’t be too impatient. You’ll have plenty to keep you busy soon. Next month you’ll start preparing to run promotions for 《Cangyue Calamity》, and there’s your 《Record of Chasing the Wind》. I heard it’s already in the review stage. It will probably follow soon after. You have a lot on your plate.”

Besides, although the production team says they’re about to start filming, there are actually many props and personnel still needing preparation. Once this preparation starts, who knows how long it will drag on again. The reason she’s letting this brat rest for a while now is precisely because she’s worried about exhausting him and sending him back to the hospital.

But wow, now the guy is even clamoring, wishing he could start work immediately.

Liu Rulan really has nothing to say.

Youth is wonderful!

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep