Chapter 118: I Am Betting Everything on This One Time! If It Possesses a Soul, Then It Is Invincible! (Grand Chapter)

Capital City, Jianghe Film and Television Company.

Several people sat around the large conference table. At the back, a projection screen displayed illustrations and a production plan. The most prominent feature was a bold title: “The Ghost Lights Out: The Lost City of Jingjue.”

Suddenly, someone spoke up:
“That’s quite bold—asking for fifty million straight away? The last one was only twenty-five million.”
“The agent from Sumu’s side gave him a quote from two years ago; this one’s relatively low.”
“Our film’s production costs aren’t low, so his fee will squeeze our post-production budget.”

The room fell silent for a moment.

Everyone understood the tomb-raiding genre well. Most of the budget went toward post-production special effects. Large-scale scenes required the most authentic locations, consuming vast resources during filming. Tomb-raiding, however, was quite the opposite. Early filming only needed locations matching the original story. The crucial tomb scenes could be created indoors with props and green screen effects. Nowadays, escape rooms and immersive murder mystery venues were excellently crafted, with realistic mechanisms. Thus, filming locations demanded little expense; the real cost was in post-production.

“Director Xu Jiang, this project has been in preparation over a year. Our investors surely don’t want it stalled, but we have to be cautious about casting this time.”

Xu Jiang quietly studied the documents in his hand. As the film’s chief director, these past two years had been harder on him than anyone else. Normally, choosing the male lead wouldn’t ruffle feathers with producers or investors. But because of the previous mishap, the entire crew was on edge. And Sumu’s fifty-million quote clearly caused hesitation among the investors—and within Xu Jiang himself.

He felt frustrated. Reflecting on his directing career, nothing had gone smoothly. His past films had been lukewarm at best, and securing funding often left him feeling like a servant begging for scraps. Now, finally holding an intriguing script, a major incident had occurred midway. Xu Jiang was at his wit’s end.

This time, the choice to approach Sumu came from recommendations within their director circle. Everyone said the actor was excellent and had high popularity, bound to turn the project around. Yet even Xu Jiang and the producers were skeptical. No one knew how things would unfold.

After a long pause, Xu Jiang said, “Although his fee squeezes post-production costs, perhaps we should still consider others...”

“Director Xu.”

Just then, a crew member interrupted their discussion.

“What is it?” Xu Jiang asked.

“Director Xu, please check the trending searches.”

Xu Jiang blinked. “Trending searches?”

“Yes, Sumu’s,” said the assistant.

Exchanging puzzled glances, they took out their phones to look. Immediately, their attention was captured by the trending topics.

Trending #1: S/s
Trending #2: Sumu, Xin Qiji hot!
Trending #3: The scandal photo was really Sumu!
Trending #4: This is the true hero Xin Qiji!
Trending #5: Film critics debate: No more Xin Qiji after Sumu?
Trending #6: Sumu didn’t disappoint us!
Trending Special Topic: It isn’t that “Warrior Shadows” is bad, it’s because he is Xin Qiji!

Everyone in the conference room stared at their phones, stunned. Nearly every headline was dominated by Sumu and Xin Qiji.

They all knew about the online movie launched on Kiwi, since they worked in the industry. But to them, no matter how much hype it had, it was just a web film—a hard sell to make waves. Besides, several foreign films were releasing simultaneously in major theaters, making broad recognition difficult. The web film’s reputation was always poor. Industry insiders never expected this project to reach any real heights.

Yet in just one day, reality hit hard.

Sumu’s portrayal of Xin Qiji had completely exploded, overshadowing all other buzz. If this were mere marketing, there wouldn’t be seven or eight trending topics at once—maybe two trending briefly, then fading. But clearly, these were genuine comments from countless netizens. Even renowned film critics and influential voices posted their reviews of “Xin Qiji.”

[Reviews:
Yang Shen V: I once commented on Sumu’s historical romance drama, thinking he had potential. But this time, his Xin Qiji won me over. I’m certain: this drama is good and worth watching! We lack quality dramas about national heroes!
Wolf Film Critic V: Known as a harsh critic, even with star-studded veteran casts, I find flaws. But for Sumu’s Xin Qiji, I choose a different approach—not praising his acting per se, but saying this film wakes us up. We don’t need Western heroism; what we need is the heroic spirit shown in Xin Qiji!
Cat Drama Watcher V: I thought Sumu was just the top in historical romance, but this film completely redefines him. His intensity and adaptability are incredible! I look forward to him taking on even more exciting roles!
Zhuang Yan V: As a professor at Capital Film Academy, I feel deeply about Sumu’s Xin Qiji. Our popular film culture has long sought forms to rival foreign cinema, but never quite succeeded. This web film’s success gives me hope! We need such actors, teams, and stories to strengthen our cultural influence!
Official Ministry of Culture V: Xin Qiji is an important historical hero, embodying the spirit of our Chinese heritage. He deserves to be known by the younger generation. The Ministry of Culture will archive this film and praises the Xin Qiji team and actor @SumuV for their excellent work!]

Xu Jiang: “!!!”
Producer: “!!!”
Everyone: “!!!”

At this moment, the room fell silent. The trending topics and reviews were overwhelmingly positive and admiring. These sharp-tongued critics, prestigious film academy elders, and even the Ministry of Culture’s official accounts had all rallied behind Sumu. That was impressive.

After a long pause, someone said, “Looking at it now, fifty million for Sumu isn’t too much.”
“I heard Kiwi spent seventy million to secure him for this film.”
“With this reaction, it’s worth it.”

The crew began discussing. Xu Jiang suddenly looked up, his eyes firm. “We must have Sumu on our team!”

The producer cautioned, “Director Xu, consider carefully. The investment won’t increase. If you pick him, it will squeeze the quality of post-production.”

Xu Jiang nodded, “The last one at twenty-five million didn’t cut costs, but what was the result?”

Producer: “That was an accident.”

Xu Jiang shook his head. “No, you get what you pay for.”

“...”
“...”

Xu Jiang said, “Sumu is expensive, but expensive for a reason. A web film dared to spend seventy million on him and won big. With such a great script, bringing him on board is like adding wings to a tiger. I, Xu Jiang, am betting on this!”

---

Kiwi Headquarters.

In the office, Zheng Quan’s mood was completely different from the day before. After the premiere of Xin Qiji, the backend data skyrocketed. New users and daily active viewers far exceeded expectations, dominating online buzz. Zheng Quan felt like a war god before the board today. His tone demanding funding was even bolder than Sumu’s! Though he didn’t understand why the phrase “asking for money” made him think of Sumu’s image. But none of that mattered.

Thanks to this success, Kiwi was recognized by the Ministry of Culture. The higher-ups were delighted and approved an additional 200 million yuan for the next fiscal year. With such financial clout, Zheng Quan pondered how to best use the extra funds. The more he thought, the more excited he became. He decided to show off a bit.

He pulled out his phone and opened the “Sumu Quote Group Chat.”

Zheng Quan: “Sumu, well done! A total victory, a total victory! Hahaha!”

Ten minutes later.

(Zheng Quan: Red envelope 200, luck-based)

Sumu claimed it.
Zhang Huaimou claimed it.
Zhao Zhouming claimed it.
Yu Hong claimed it.
Chen Anzhi claimed it.
Liu Qiangxi claimed it...

Zheng Quan: “Damn, you guys are faster than anyone at grabbing red envelopes! Come out!”

Zhang Huaimou: “Congrats! I watched the film—very well made. Sumu didn’t disappoint!”

Chen Anzhi: “Thanks for the recommendation, Director Zhang.”

Zhao Zhouming: “Zheng Quan, aren’t you being stingy?”

Yu Hong: “Kiwi’s been killing it these months, and only 200 yuan? Come on!”

Zheng Quan: “Quiet! Last year Penguin released four TV dramas and the Dance Street show in the first half. You enjoyed those, didn’t you? Why no grand bonuses then?”

Yu Hong: “That’s the past. Let’s talk about now!”

Zhao Zhouming: “I know people at Olé too. Their few foreign films this time got crushed by your Xin Qiji’s reputation. What more do you want?”

Zheng Quan: “Oh, now that you say it, I remember asking the board for funds this morning. Accidentally got 200 million more for next year. You know, I hate spending money, but the bosses are pushing me to spend it. What a headache...”

Zhao Zhouming: “Damn... can’t take it.”

Yu Hong: “Gotta run.”

---

Sumu: “Haha, thanks, boss!”

Zheng Quan: “Sumu, why just now? Too dazzled by fans? You’re about to take off! The Ministry of Culture personally praised you!”

Sumu: “Zheng, you flatter me. I’m just a small fish hustling for a living, unlike you throwing around billions.”

Zheng Quan: “Sumu, nonsense. You’re my brother. If there’s good news, I’ll bring you in first. I have 200 million idle right now; if you have a good project, I’m your first investor!”

Yu Hong: “Wait, you just invest on a whim? I’m Sumu’s first brother; Penguin invests first!”

Zhao Zhouming: “Think I don’t have money at the oil depot?”

Zhang Huaimou: “Sumu, if you write a good script again, Huayi will fund your production. I’ll personally lead the team. I’ve got nothing else going on these years.”

Zheng Quan: “...”
Zhao Zhouming: “...”
Yu Hong: “...”
Liu Qiangxi: “Hey, I grabbed the biggest share, 58.8! Haha, thanks!”
Yuan Zheng: “666”
Chen Anzhi: “666”
...

---

Olé Film Venture Capital Tower.

Wang Taiming stood with his entire office staff, eyes glued to the projection screen playing the film. Resentment was natural. But Wang wanted to know exactly where they had lost. So he got a VIP membership and streamed the film “Xin Qiji 1162,” which had outperformed their own “Warrior Shadows.”

At first, everyone’s opinions aligned. The visuals were standard, scenes not grand but moderately above average. Yet when Sumu appeared as Xin Qiji, everyone followed his rhythm. Though dressed simply in plain cloth and battered armor, Sumu carried an unparalleled aura of heroic elegance. The first glance held their gaze captive. Even disheveled, he exuded an indescribable charm.

What followed were fierce fight scenes, with Sumu’s swordplay fluid and smooth. Each shot was seamless and exhilarating, with minimal cuts to avoid breaking immersion. Remarkably, he performed all the stunts himself, no doubles.

What truly moved Wang was the scene of Xin Qiji practicing swordsmanship late at night. The line, “By drunken candlelight, I gaze upon my sword, dreaming of trumpets and camps…” sent chills down his spine. Then came Sumu’s ride into the Jin army’s camp—majestic and fierce! This was not something mere special effects or industrial technology could create. It was spirit flowing through the blood.

By the story’s end, seeing Xin Qiji fail to lead the militia to victory, his hair white as snow on a cliff, the entire room sighed in quiet sorrow. Even some female colleagues had reddened eyes, nearly shedding tears.

Wang Taiming showed no expression, striving to calm himself. Honestly, if not for Olé’s stance, he might have stood up applauding this film. Because it was truly well made. And this quality was precisely what special effects couldn’t replicate. For a moment, he understood where they lost. The two films weren’t on the same level.

This web film had soul. A work embodying the spirit of the nation could not be defeated.

Meanwhile, the screen was flooded with live comments:
[“This is the real Xin Qiji! Salute to every hero!”
“Salute to our own heroes! Our land endures, wishing peace!”
“Whether history or the hardships we endured, heroes are what our generation should praise! Thanks, film!”
“Salute to heroes! Our nation has risen. If reborn, may this prosperous age be as you wished!”
“Sumu, keep it up! Outstanding performance! June 19, 2023, Tao**!”]

There was no comparison or disparagement of “Warrior Shadows” due to Xin Qiji’s success. Only the elevation and purification of the young audience’s hearts after watching the film.

After a long while, Wang Taiming gave a self-deprecating smile. Then he stood and addressed his staff:
“Alright, that’s it for today. Victory and defeat are common in our line. We must admit, Sumu is truly skilled. Let’s rest today, then return to summarize and plan for next year. I have a feeling that our own Chinese cultural projects may have a bigger market in the future. Olé must prepare ahead.”

“Also, reach out to Sumu’s team and make some initial contact. Convey that Olé hopes to collaborate and that I greatly admire him.”

PS: Thanks to all the big shots for the support! More to come later!

(The End)