Chapter 131: Without Hindsight, of Course It's the Dream
Re-dressed Faora looked refreshed, with a lingering flush on her face.
Only then did Li Chen have the time to properly look her over.
Her facial features were very sharp, giving her a heroic and spirited look. At first glance, she wasn't breathtaking, but she belonged to the type that grew on you the more you looked.
Although she had short hair, she wasn't a tomboy type, and only Li Chen knew just how well-endowed she was.
"Let's go, I'll introduce you to your new family."
Li Chen found that Faora wasn't that difficult to get along with.
As long as one's strength could suppress her, she wouldn't act out.
To deal with a woman like this, what you needed to do was always be stronger than her.
Coming out of the garden, Bayonetta and Jeanne had already returned.
They happened to be coming in from outside and jumped down from Arcee.
Afterwards, Arcee greeted: "Master."
Then she drove herself into the garage.
Bayonetta and Jeanne looked at Faora with curiosity, their first impression being that she was extremely sharp.
This made the two sisters exchange a glance, both feeling the solemnity in each other.
"This is a formidable enemy!"
Faora looked at them with a calm gaze, not treating them as rivals.
Only those whose strength could threaten her would make her take them seriously.
Li Chen noticed this and said: "This is Faora, her strength is immense."
"These are Bayonetta and Jeanne."
Li Chen placed his hands directly on the shoulders on both sides: "We're all family, be a bit closer."
"Heh heh..."
Bayonetta twitched the corner of her mouth.
However, she was still quite mischievous and directly pulled out a lollipop for Faora.
"Let's make friends."
Faora originally didn't want to take it, but under Li Chen's gaze, she still yielded.
Now Li Chen was her king, so naturally she could only agree.
To put it bluntly, her genes carried the factor of'submission'.
This was also why she was an adjutant and not a true general.
She might even never be able to become the commander-in-chief.
Because their genes were different.
Zod's family was one of the three most powerful families on Krypton, so he was destined to be a general.
Faora didn't have this kind of 'family background'.
I have to say, this was actually quite tragic.
From birth, she had already been programmed.
Therefore, children born naturally were the most powerful Kryptonians.
Faora took the lollipop, then imitated Bayonetta by tearing open the packaging and tossing it into her mouth.
It indeed felt different; Li Chen's taste was completely washed away.
"Let's go, there are others in our home."
Li Chen led Faora inside.
Nami and the others were not strangers to Faora.
During this period, they had caught up on Starlight Pictures' works, so naturally they knew how stunning this Kryptonian female general was.
This truly showcased her power.
"Sister Faora."
Therefore, they were all very well-behaved.
Faora was also somewhat unaccustomed, so she just sat upright and properly on the sofa.
Meanwhile, Li Chen listened to Bayonetta and Jeanne's experiences.
"There's even a bar that only mages can go to?"
Li Chen was somewhat surprised; wasn't this discrimination?
Mages discriminated against non-mage personnel.
Why on earth couldn't he go!
"Clea's silver-haired maiden?"
Afterwards, Li Chen heard Jeanne's words.
"What does she look like? Is it a Saihuang face?"
Li Chen was not unfamiliar with Clea.
She had appeared in the post-credits scene of Doctor Strange 2", and she was played by Charlize Theron.
Although having an older woman play Clea was a bit strange...
"Who?"
Jeanne asked with curiosity.
Li Chen searched for a photo of Charlize Theron and showed it to her.
"Not like that."
Jeanne shook her head: "She is very young, her eyes are very deep, and her facial features are a bit softer than this."
Li Chen nodded. After all, if she looked exactly like Saihuang, then Saihuang would be in danger...
Bayonetta directly let him look into her memory.
A woman with silver hair and a black translucent gauze dress appeared before Li Chen; she was lifelike and looked very beautiful.
"There's even this ability?"
"Just a little trick."
Bayonetta was very calm, her long legs propped up on the coffee table.
This caused dissatisfaction from many people; having long legs made you so great?
Li Chen suddenly felt very happy sitting in the hall chatting with his family.
It would be even better with a TV.
So he turned on the TV; most of the channels on TV were pay-per-view channels.
"Our own channel has launched."
Li Chen spoke up: "You can watch it if you're bored in the future."
He searched for a bit and managed to find his own family's pay channel, which wasn't charging fees temporarily.
This was also a strategy. If they charged fees right from the beginning... then nobody would know what you were broadcasting, so how could they naturally spend money?
Just like how Fujiko was so shrewd later on, their TV dramas didn't dare to start charging from the very first episode either.
No matter how reluctant they were, they would still let the audience watch two episodes for free.
In reality, whether it was good or not, two episodes were enough to attract the audience.
The strategy of the Starlight Channel mainly relied on One Piece" to attract audience payments first, and then put up others.
It wasn't that they didn't know that rick and morty" had great production and huge potential to become a massive hit, but by comparison, the already greatly successful One Piece" was a safer strategy.
Just like the 1984 NBA draft, at that time the entire nationwide in the US knew that Michael Jordan would be the next superstar, because he swept 8 awards in college; anyone with half a brain would know he would be a superstar.
It's just that no one would have thought he would become the unique God of Basketball in history.
Therefore, in that draft, the rocket taking Olajuwon with the number one pick was an understandable choice.
Because Olajuwon was a true basketball genius; as a freshman he didn't even know the rules of basketball, and after going on the court for a few minutes he would foul out and be ejected.
But by his junior year, he was already a basketball genius renowned across the nationwide in the US.
Anyone who saw the Dream's talent would drool.
It was also starting from the Dream that the NBA believed skills were very easy to practice; if you don't believe it, just look at the Dream?
In three years, going from a roughneck who couldn't play basketball to a true number one pick.
Moreover, the Dream was a center, so it was normal that Danzi couldn't compete with him.
It's just that the Trail Blazers' operation naturally had to be criticized by later generations.
Regardless, the Dream won two championships; what about Sam Bowie?
The TV stations' choices at this time were the same; Starlight Pictures was very confident about rick and morty", but Paramount and Lionsgate didn't know what kind of sensation it would cause.
Without hindsight, of course one would choose the Dream.
At this time, the Starlight Channel was broadcasting the first few episodes of the One Piece" anime.
Nami had already appeared, making everyone very interested.
Even they had a feeling that the characters in the animation had become a Real person.
However, they didn't care about this point, because Li Chenhad long fooled them with that infinite-genre routine.
"You all truly exist, and it is precisely because your worldexists that these works came to be."
Chapter 132: Can Kids Even Understand This?
New Mexico.
Located in the southwestern part of America, it had joined America in 1912 as the 47th state following Mexico's crushing defeat in the Mexican-American War over a century earlier.
There was no helping it; Mexico was simply too weak.
From then on, all of South America became America's backyard.
Because it was right next to Mexico, New Mexico was not particularly peaceful either.
Not long ago, S.H.I.E.L.D. received word that a hammerhad suddenly appeared on the ground, and no matter how much force the locals used or what methods they tried, nobody could lift it.
And so, S.H.I.E.L.D. moved in.
Such bizarre phenomena fell right under their jurisdiction.
The ever-reliable Coulson arrived on the scene immediately, having S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents secure the area.
"Clint, you gave it a try and couldn't pick it up either?"
"Of course not. I suspect it's glued to the dirt."
Hawkeye Clint shrugged before changing the subject. "I heard Natasha was left behind in Los Angeles."
"Yeah, she's about to become a big celebrity."
Coulson had also found it hard to keep a straight face when he first got the news.
One of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s top Agents had actually gone off to act in a movie.
Worse yet, neither the Director nor the Deputy Directorcould do a single thing about it.
To put it bluntly, neither of them dared to cross that Li.
"I hope it doesn't affect her work."
Clint looked rather gloomy.
After all, he was the one who had brought Black Widow Natasha into S.H.I.E.L.D., so naturally, he didn't want anything bad to happen to her.
For a secret Agent, the most dangerous thing was fame.
They had done far too much dirty work in the shadows; having enemies track them down was their greatest fear.
Only someone like Tony Stark was carefree enough, but even so, he had faced countless attacks after publicly announcing he was Iron Man.
Being too famous would only draw jealousy and hatred.
So, Clint could only hope that the movie Natasha was in would bomb at the box office.
That night, S.H.I.E.L.D. had only just finished setting up their perimeter.
Coulson received word that someone had broken in.
The S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents hadn't been able to stop him.
Of course, that was partly because they hadn't used lethal weapons.
Coulson instructed, "Let him go in and take a look."
"Who knows? Maybe he can lift it."
Though it seemed unlikely, S.H.I.E.L.D. already considered the hammer to be a deeply mysterious artifact.
They deliberately let the blond man in, watching as he strained with every ounce of strength in his body, yet still failed to budge the hammer.
Then he completely broke down, crying out to the heavens in the pouring rain, "No!"
"Snowflakes drifting, the north wind blowing~"
For some reason, that melancholic tune popped into Coulson's head.
He shook his head. "Lock him up and wait for someone to come bail him out."
There was definitely a group behind him.
Besides, Coulson was convinced that this man really had some connection to the hammer, otherwise he wouldn't have broken down like that.
That meant they had to keep a close eye on him.
Sure enough, it didn't take long for people to come bail him out—an astrophysics Professor accompanied by two female students.
However, by the time he was released, this guy who called himself Thor, the God of Thunder, seemed even more despondent.
It was as if he had suffered yet another devastating blow during his brief lockup.
Mortals, of course, were entirely unaware of Loki's presence.
Though in Li Chen's eyes, such "gods" were merely slightly stronger mortals.
What was so special about Asgard anyway?
As long as one was powerful enough, ordinary people would revere and worship them.
Compared to regular humans, they simply lived longer and possessed a bit more strength.
Thus, S.H.I.E.L.D. was completely baffled as to why this guy had slumped into an even deeper depression.
After Thor was led away by Jane Foster, the others also noticed something was off.
They arrived at a tavern in a nearby town, where Darcy Lewis asked curiously, "What happened to you? You weren't this depressed before."
As Jane's best friend, her defining trait was being extraordinarily well-endowed.
Anyone who saw her found it hard to keep their eyes from wandering.
Thor, however, paid no mind to that, simply nursing his drink in gloom. "My father died because of me... and he was the All-Father."
"My brother will become the new All-Father, but what about me? What should I do?"
Jane Foster and the others merely assumed he was far too lost in his delusions.
Yet for Thor, he had truly lost his purpose in life.
Loki had just told him that Odin died of grief because of him...
He didn't doubt it in the slightest; he only spiraled further, genuinely believing he was unworthy of becoming the next All-Father.
Though he had never cared much for the throne to begin with, he was now completely lost, not knowing what he was supposed to do.
A man always needed a purpose.
Just then, the tavern owner switched on an old television.
"Oh, shit! The Starlight Channel really started charging a fee. Damn capitalists!"
The tavern owner, a man nearly fifty, had no choice but to pay up.
His favorite movie, The Godfather, was playing on this channel.
Unfortunately, once he paid, an animated show appeared on the screen instead.
"Shit! Why is it a cartoon? That's kids' stuff!"
The owner cursed loudly, feeling thoroughly scammed.
Pay-per-view wasn't cheap; though the Starlight Channelwasn't exorbitant, the monthly subscription was still $9.90.
Regardless of how much the owner cursed, Thor was completely captivated by the television.
Playing on the screen was none other than the first season of rick and morty.
Thor was drawn to this white-haired 'grandpa' who possessed an unmistakable, eccentric charm.
His foul-mouthed rants, distinct voice, and perpetual half-drunk demeanor kept Thor's eyes glued to the screen.
This was so much better than his royal father.
Thor even found himself wishing his father, King Odin, was like this.
Soon enough, Thor was roaring with laughter at Morty.
"Haha, what a moron!"
"Holy shit, what is that thing? Shooting a gun at a wall lets you travel across the universe?"
Thor's eyes went wide as he asked, "Is the technology of you Midgardians this advanced?"
Jane Foster and the others were left utterly speechless.
He looked ready to burst into tears moments ago, so how had he suddenly turned into this?
"That's an animation—it's pure sci-fi imagination, not real,"
Jane Foster explained.
"Theoretically speaking, this is actually possible,"
Thor argued. "Maybe Grandpa Rick really exists?"
He then watched as Grandpa Rick took his grandson on an adventure across the cosmos.
The journey was filled with laughter and mind-bending ideas, filling Thor with utter envy.
He wished he had a grandpa like that too; he would surely behave himself.
Watching the cosmic landscapes unfold in the animation, Thor felt a sudden resurgence of drive.
He slapped his thigh abruptly. "I've got it!"
"What is it?"
Jane Foster and the others turned to look at him.
"I'm going to venture out into the cosmos too! Asgard is too small to contain me!"
"Wubba lubba dub dub!"
Thor had no idea what the phrase meant, but he bellowed it out anyway, mimicking Grandpa Rick.
"Shut up!"
Immediately, others in the tavern yelled back; they, too, were watching the show intently.
Who said this was for kids? Could kids even understand this?
It was made for them!
Chapter 133: The Popularity of Grandpa Rick
Just as rick and morty was broadcasting during the late-night slot,
Li Chen also escaped from home and arrived at the Hellfire Club.
Faora was far too wild; even he was starting to find it a bit overwhelming.
It was mainly because a Kryptonian's regenerative abilities were simply too formidable. She was clearly knocked flat, yet she would quickly bounce back full of energy, clamoring for another intense battle.
After several consecutive rounds, Li Chen felt a bit intimidated and simply made a run for it.
Was this truly the endurance of a Kryptonian female sub-commander?
At times like this, he could only seek out novices to regain his confidence.
And so, he went to find White Queen.
To White Queen's surprise, Li Chen was uncharacteristically keeping his hands to himself.
The two simply held each other, sharing gentle affection.
"During this period, we scouted several locations, but none are suitable for founding a nation,"
White Queen said to Li Chen.
Li Chen, meanwhile, went over to turn on the TV and paid for the Starlight Channel subscription on White Queen's television.
Following Li Chen's martial deterrence, the difficulty for the Mutants to establish a country had lessened somewhat.
However, in modern human society, all habitable lands had long since been claimed.
The Mutants were just like the Jews back in the day, unable to find a suitable place unless they took it by force.
Yet the Jews dared to do so because they had Americabacking them.
And America today... no longer possessed that kind of strength.
"There are uninhabited islands out at sea, but their resources are far too scarce."
White Queen Emma Frost said, "Is this animation produced by your company?"
"That's right."
Li Chen watched rick and morty airing during the late-night slot.
The prime-time slot had still been conceded to One Piece.
Even so, Li Chen remained confident that it would be a hit.
Anyone who watched it would experience the charm of Grandpa Rick.
"Islands won't work. The resources are scarce, and it's far too dangerous,"
Li Chen said. "Don't overestimate those politicians; they are capable of reckless gambles. What if they decide to just nuke it flat?"
"Then... unless we can completely block human detection,"
White Queen pondered and said.
"Exactly, so there's no rush."
Li Chen was in no hurry either.
"You all focus on handling the preliminary preparations first."
"We can only do that, then."
White Queen sighed, though having waited for so long, there was no need to rush at this moment.
Their demand was merely autonomy, after all.
For these Mutants, they were thoroughly sick of the discrimination they faced in human society.
If they had a country of their own, that kind of discrimination wouldn't exist, right?
Li Chen, however, simply felt they were being overly idealistic.
Mutants would still discriminate against other Mutants.
It was just like the classic claim that in an all-female world, even if you slept on the street, someone would come tuck you under a blanket.
In reality, if it were truly an all-female world, if you dared sleep on the street, some pampered princess would run you over in her car without hesitation.
Because the innate tendency to cause trouble would inevitably conflict with the foundational programming of loving oneself above all others.
Just like cats, the most comical creatures—the moment things don't go their way, they instantly snap.
Still, none of that concerned him; he merely wanted a taste of power.
By now, White Queen was also drawn in by the television.
"This animation is pretty good."
She glanced at the title, rick and morty. "I thought it would be childish."
"No, it's just right for you."
Li Chen lay down beside her.
"What do you mean? Are you calling me a child?"
"No, no, no. You're a big kid."
...
Starlight Television's strategy was very successful.
Leveraging the massive traffic drawn in by the One Pieceanime, they smoothly switched to a paid subscription model.
For live-action content, they relied on classic older films.
With franchises like Godfather, 007, and Mission: Impossible, Paramount, as a Hollywood giant, truly possessed a formidable library of copyrights.
In fact, had MGM not sold off so much of its assets, it would probably have been in a similar league.
Fortunately, Starlight Pictures' current lineup of films was thriving.
The earlier Superman and the recently theatrical-run-ended Transformers could both be broadcast on the Starlight Channel.
There were also more niche titles like obsession.
Beyond that, the Starlight Channel's original series game of thrones was preparing to begin filming.
They had splurged heavily to secure the rights to A Song of Ice and Fire and officially greenlit the project.
Therefore, Starlight Television's strategy was to build an all-ages television network where everyone, from young children to the elderly, could find joy from this channel.
The next day, when Li Chen arrived at the company, he received great news.
The subscription rate for Starlight Television had surpassed seventy percent, and many viewers called in requesting that rick and morty be aired during prime-time slots.
This animation had already begun to demonstrate its magnetic charm, winning over everyone regardless of age or gender.
The high-spirited Harry Sloan asked, "Boss, both Paramount and Lionsgate want to consult your opinion. Is there anything we should pay special attention to regarding game of thrones?"
"The investment must be substantial, and the grand scenes must be shot magnificently, just like a film,"
Li Chen stated. "Do not scale back on special effects due to budget constraints."
In his previous life, the reason game of thrones became such a massive hit was precisely because of its cinematic-tier visual effects.
If its visual effects had been indistinguishable from ordinary TV dramas, it likely wouldn't have been nearly as explosive.
Many otherwise excellent television shows suffered from inadequate budgets and terrible special effects, which severely dampened viewers' enthusiasm.
For instance, the string of DC series on the CW Networksuffered from such abysmal visual effects—could those even be called superhero shows?
Of course, Li Chen still recognized their casting prowess.
For example, Supergirl portrayed by Melissa earned unanimous praise, even though she was constantly taking beatings in the series, earning her the moniker'Shame of Krypton.'
Thus, Li Chen reminded him, "Casting must be top-tier. Actresses must be gorgeous, and male actors must be handsome—while faithfully aligning with the original work, of course."
Hollywood in this era had not yet lost its mind; they wouldn't pass over attractive actors in favor of unattractive ones.
The one who had left the deepest impression on Li Chenwas the Mother of Dragons. When she kept a straight face, she was truly stunning, but the moment she smiled, it was nearly impossible not to break down laughing.
Whether to cast her or not was something Li Chen couldn't say for sure.
After all, he had plenty of people under his own banner waiting for a shot at stardom.
"Have Kitty and the others all try out for auditions."
Li Chen ultimately decided to look out for his own people.
Didn't Kitty Pryde and the others leave the Mutant school specifically to pursue fame and fortune?
Of course, the prerequisite was that they had to be willing to make artistic compromises.
After all, game of thrones pushed boundaries that were far from tame.
Still, due to the requirements of Starlight Television, it certainly wouldn't be as explicit as in his previous life.
After all, they had to accommodate younger viewers.
"Understood."
Harry Sloan was not surprised at all.
Disney operated on the very same playbook; many of Disney's youth-oriented movies selected their leads from the talent they cultivated in-house.
For instance, many artists who debuted as pop singers would appear in some Disney movies, keeping the wealth within the family.
Dazzler and Taylor Swift could also go audition; if suitable, giving them a role would be no big deal.
At that moment, Lorna entered to report, "Boss, the representatives from Stark Industries are about to arrive."
Chapter 134: Iron Man Has to Be Different
During this period, Captain America Steve Rogers had barely gone outside.
Aside from his daily training, he spent his time watching television in his room.
He was already a movie buff, and now he found that only the movie world could bring him a sliver of solace.
It allowed him to escape reality and roam freely within the movie world.
So after returning from the theater, he rewatched all of Starlight Pictures' previous movies several times.
His favorite was man of steel.
Although this Superman was completely different from the one in his memory.
In Steve Rogers' memory, Superman was just a strongman who ran faster than a world champion and could easily lift a car.
Yet the gap between that and what was portrayed in the movie was far too vast...
Only after watching the movie did he truly understand what Superman was.
With an effortless leap into Flight, Superman could leave Earth and arrive in the universe.
With a mere breath, he could freeze a river.
Of course, what he loved wasn't just Superman's power, but Superman's humanity.
In his view, the movie Body of Steel had continuously emphasized Clark Kent's humanity.
In terms of scale and presence, he was a God Among Men, yet throughout the story he consistently possessed the same emotions as any human.
When angry, he would crush someone's semi-truck into a mangled heap, yet he would never leave anyone to die, confronting danger head-on.
Especially when his adoptive father rescued the dog, became unable to escape the Twister due to an injured leg, and simultaneously waved off Clark's rescue.
Because Li Chen knew how much controversy surrounded this scene, he specifically had Zack Snyder cast a childactor.
Simply put, the Superman of that time had no idea how immense his powers were; he didn't know he could fly, nor did he know he possessed a Body of Steel.
When Steve Rogers watched that scene, only that single line echoed in his ears: "The world wasn't ready for you yet."
After all, this was different from that war-torn era.
If Superman had appeared in his era, these dilemmas wouldn't have existed.
Of course, the final showdown was an absolute thrill for Steve to watch.
His favorite parts were when Superman first learned Flightand the climactic Kryptonian battle, though unfortunately it felt too brief.
Because of this, he watched the movie several times over.
As for Transformers and the like, they weren't nearly as interesting to him.
Even though their visual effects were spectacular, they failed to captivate Steve Rogers.
After finishing them, Captain America was left with only a sense of emptiness.
And that feeling was remarkably intense.
Fortunately, not long ago, he discovered that Starlight Pictures had launched a television channel.
He immediately located the broadcast, paid to watch it, and had already become a loyal viewer.
Now, he had even learned how to pick up a mobile phoneand send a message to Starlight Television.
"Could you air a few more episodes of rick and morty?"
The S.H.I.E.L.D. agent monitoring Captain America's every move felt rather helpless.
Even so, he dutifully reported it up the chain of command.
...
Strictly speaking, this was the second time Li Chen and Tony Stark had met.
However, the previous time was at the Hellfire Club in New York, where Li Chen was still wearing a Batmanmask, so it didn't count as a true face-to-face meeting.
Now, it was their first formal meeting.
Li Chen brought Lorna to the lobby to meet Tony, who had also brought along a sizable entourage.
"Mr. Stark, it is an honor to finally meet you."
Tony Stark gave a haughty nod and said, "I've heard quite a bit about you as well. Your success in Hollywood is truly eye-catching."
"It still pales in comparison to Stark Industries,"
Li Chen remarked.
His shares in Stark Industries had earned him a handsome windfall.
Although he no longer cared about that amount of money, who would ever complain about having too much?
After exchanging a round of pleasantries, Li Chen gave him a tour of the grounds.
This place was originally MGM's headquarters; as a Hollywood giant, its layout was naturally well-designed.
With more than a thousand employees in total, it presented an impressive scale.
Tony Stark nodded quietly, his reservations fading away.
It wasn't that he hadn't considered partnering with other major studios, but he didn't care about the money; what mattered to him was fame.
Everyone in the industry now knew that Starlight Pictureswas the most skilled and explosive when it came to making superhero movies.
To build massive hype for Iron Man, collaborating with him was the best choice.
Simply put, Tony Stark prioritized fame above all else; making money was secondary.
To him, movies were an industry with a notoriously long return on investment. Even if a blockbuster turned a massive profit, yielding several times the budget,
the actual payback period was lengthy—taking at least a year or more from initial investment to recouping costs.
On top of that, one had to watch out for creative accounting...
If a studio acted as shameless as Warner, reporting a net loss on paper despite enormous box-office success, fighting a lawsuit would be utterly exhausting.
Therefore, in Tony's eyes, the prospects of the film business were only mediocre.
It was nowhere near as lucrative as dabbling in clean energy, which could generate astronomical profits almost instantly.
Since money wasn't an issue, the conversation became straightforward.
He asked Li Chen directly, "If we produce Iron Man, what style will you use?"
"A family-friendly tone, of course,"
Li Chen replied without hesitation.
In his previous life, Marvel Studios had conquered the globe precisely by relying on that family-friendly formula.
It was only due to Disney's later meddling that Marveldrifted more and more toward children's entertainment.
There was no helping it; that was simply Disney's playbook. Every film Disney made was tailored for children, designed to lure them into Disneyland.
And in North America, as well as the rest of the world, family-centric entertainment was an evergreen market.
After all, most people watched movies to unwind and enjoy a happy ending, not to suffer through a grim tragedy only to be forced to ponder the plot or examine their consciences afterward.
That was precisely why so many people criticized the DC films directed by Zack Snyder for being too "dark."
"Why not a darker tone?"
Tony Stark inquired.
"A family-friendly approach builds mainstream hype much more easily and appeals to every demographic."
Li Chen smiled. "Whether you're after box office or fame, a broad, family-friendly tone should be the priority, and we also need to set ourselves apart from DC."
In truth, one couldn't say DC's grim and gritty approach was entirely wrong; after Marvel had already paved the way with broad family appeal, making crude, juvenile humor for DC felt unnatural.
It was just like how the DC Universe rebooted by Gunnlater produced things like a groin-busting Superman and a Supergirl who looked like a female Huang Bo, desperately copying the tone of Guardians of the Galaxy.
And the outcome? It couldn't even measure up to Zack Snyder's version of the DC Universe...
The box office of the new Superman couldn't even rival Body of Steel, to say nothing of Supergirl—not even a comic masterpiece like Woman of Tomorrow could save it.
In this world, having one's own identity was essential.
Therefore, even as Li Chen prepared to make Iron Man, he intended to forge a distinct identity.
Tony Stark was thoroughly pleased upon hearing this; distinctiveness was exactly what he wanted.
He had to stand out from the crowd!
Chapter 135: Reaching an Agreement with Tony
"Not bad, I think so too."
Tony Stark said with an arrogant look, "I don't want the same style as other movies. I am who I am."
Li Chen took a sip of the tea Lorna had brewed.
Tony glanced at it and said, "I'll send you some better tea leaves later."
"...This is Pu'er, got it?"
Seeing his Pu'er being mocked, Li Chen immediately retorted.
The Lao Banzhang he had specifically paid top dollar to have someone fetch from Pu'er was actually looked down upon by Tony.
"Don't know, don't care, but I know it's definitely not expensive."
This left Li Chen utterly speechless.
After the two reached an agreement in principle, both of their teams naturally began negotiations.
Both sides possessed formidable legal teams, all to ensure their own side wouldn't get the short end of the stick.
Of course, the strongest legal team in Hollywood belonged to Disney, because Disney wouldn't let off even elementary school kids.
MGM didn't have such a massive team, but worldwide they still had over a hundred lawyers dedicated to handling lawsuits.
Disney was even more exaggerated, with an estimated three hundred-plus lawyers, all divided by specialized functions.
So one could imagine that ordinary people were utterly helpless when facing such a behemoth.
However, Stark Industries' legal team was certainly not lagging behind.
As a renowned defense contractor facing countless lawsuits, they were also a battle-hardened team.
The negotiations between the two teams appeared destined to drag on.
Because both sides had their own demands.
For example, Stark Industries demanded that the script must not "smear" Tony Stark, and his image had to remain heroic and upright.
That conflicted with the script, because Starlight Pictureswanted to faithfully portray Tony Stark's playboy persona.
And that was merely one point of contention.
Reaching a final deal would take quite some time.
Naturally, Li Chen and Tony Stark wouldn't concern themselves with such minor details and left them to their subordinates.
In fact, that was the only time they met.
Having finally come to Los Angeles, Tony Starkimmediately plunged into a whirlwind of parties.
Many female celebrities were fascinated by billionaires, dreaming day and night of marrying into wealth.
Therefore, Tony Stark was never short of women around him.
Li Chen, on the other hand, had lost much of his interest in parties, as he had to admit there were simply too many beautiful women in Los Angeles.
This made him somewhat numb to appearances; without the bonus of status, no matter how attractive someone was, it was just an ordinary flesh sack.
This also allowed him to understand Brother Dong's famous quote.
He simply couldn't tell who was beautiful or ugly!
He had Jubilee drive him directly to the set of Lucy. Lucyactually didn't require heavy practical special effects—they could mostly be done with CGI—and didn't require much location scouting either.
Shooting it was considered quite an easy endeavor.
However, because Black Widow was acting for the first time, progress was delayed a bit.
But even so, it was wrapping up soon.
Li Chen needed to "recharge" Natasha before she left Hollywood. After all, people change—what if she forgot about him once she returned to her life as an Agent?
Having learned his lesson with Mystique, Li Chen had to be vigilant.
Although absence makes the heart grow fonder, if the distance becomes too great, fondness fades into nothingness.
So he also visited Mystique every few days. Mystique had stayed at the Hellfire Club; having completely fallen out with Magneto, she had no choice but to cling tightly to Li Chen.
Thus, she would satisfy any demand Li Chen made.
Like an ever-changing enchantress, she provided Li Chenwith the ultimate pleasure.
But Li Chen didn't lose himself in Mystique's gentle embrace.
Arriving on set, Li Chen found everyone extremely busy.
Even Black Widow Natasha didn't notice his arrival, engrossed in tense work.
In fact, anyone could see that being the leading protagonist felt magnificent.
With so many people revolving around oneself, how could one not get carried away?
Many celebrities actually had terrible tempers; accustomed to playing "God" and bossing people around, how could anyone expect them to have a good temper?
But Natasha didn't have such bad habits; her life as an Agent had taught her to avoid making enemies as much as possible.
"Lucy, that's a wrap!"
Ridley Scott shouted from the stage, and the entire crewerupted into cheers.
The long hours of work had been suffocating, but fortunately the pace had been brisk.
Of course, filming had concluded, but for the director and the producer, the battle had only just begun.
They had to edit over ten hours of footage down to a movieunder two hours long.
This was the optimal runtime for a movie, because anything longer would turn into a "bladder test."
Furthermore, an excessive runtime would hurt theater scheduling.
For instance, a two-hour film could have more than ten screenings a day, but if it stretched to two and a half or three hours, a theater would lose multiple screenings each day, which meant less profit!
This also explained why Zack Snyder's movies always seemed to have director's cuts.
Because the theatrical releases invariably suffered from narrative issues.
Perhaps Warner knew this as well, but they had no choice.
Because for a production studio, the most important thing was making money.
In this respect, Zack Snyder couldn't be considered a good director, which was why strict control from the producerand the screenwriting team was necessary.
"Mr. Scott, thank you for your hard work."
Li Chen greeted Ridley Scott first.
Ridley smiled and said, "I guarantee this is a good movie."
"The female lead is here, I'll leave you two to chat."
Then, he winked playfully at Li Chen.
The old man had lived a long time, but rarely had he seen someone like Li Chen spend tens of millions of dollars just to promote his own woman.
After all, this was hard cash; if it went down the drain, it would hurt anyone deeply.
Starlight Pictures had only just started out and couldn't withstand such a blow.
But he was merely a director—one without final cut privilege at that—so he could only do his utmost to polish the movie as best as possible.
As for the rest, it was up to fate.
Things like this weren't rare in Hollywood. Back then, David Fincher's first feature film in Hollywood was Alien 3, and because the production was utter chaos, everyone knew how that turned out.
Alien 3 nearly killed off the entire franchise...
But Ridley also knew David Fincher wasn't to blame, as the young director was merely a scapegoat.
He didn't even have final cut privilege; what the movieturned out to be had little to do with him.
But Hollywood didn't care about that; Hollywood only believed he ruined the movie, which almost ruined David Fincher's career permanently.
Fortunately, he pulled through in the end and went on to deliver plenty of classics in Hollywood.
For Ridley Scott, even if the movie flopped it wouldn't be an issue—after all, he had flopped on plenty of big-budget productions...
But who doesn't like success?
"Can we succeed?"
At this moment, Natasha asked Li Chen.
"Of course."
Li Chen was completely certain.
Chapter 136: Bayonetta: You Stink
Since the turn of the new century, Hollywood's demand for superstars had actually been steadily declining.
In the nineties of the last century, Hollywood had two famous Toms, both of whom were superstars.
Namely, Tom Cruise and Tom Hanks.
Tom Cruise was on an incredible streak in the nineties; he held a record of consecutive box office hits breaking one hundred million, with every movie he starred in ultimately grossing over a hundred million.
This cemented his superstar status; people would instinctively head into movie theaters just upon hearing his name.
Although there were tactics like spending millions to pad the box office, it did little to tarnish his overall brilliance.
Tom Hanks was no slouch either; he had won the Oscar for Best Actor two years in a row with Philadelphia and Forrest Gump.
He was only the second actor in history to win back-to-back Oscars, cementing himself as a superstar of that era.
However, judging purely by box office drawing power, Tom Cruise was still stronger.
Yet, Tom Cruise was ultimately the last superstar of Hollywood.
With the arrival of a new era and the rise of the internet, superstars played an increasingly smaller role in guiding audiences' viewing choices.
People would no longer mindlessly watch a movie just because Tom Cruise was in it.
No celebrity commanded that level of prestige anymore.
If even Tom Cruise couldn't pull it off, let alone anyone else.
Therefore, Li Chen felt that whether there was a celebrityor not didn't make much difference.
For an excellent movie, casting those big celebrities was merely the icing on the cake.
What truly mattered was the quality of the movie itself; whether it featured big celebrities was irrelevant.
Still, for many Hollywood studios, having the built-in draw of a celebrity felt a bit safer.
Hearing Li Chen's words, Black Widow Natasha also felt reassured.
In truth, she shouldn't have been hoping for the movie to do well.
She should have hoped the movie flopped as hard as possible, so that no one would notice her and no one would come looking for trouble with Li Chen.
Yet the thought of Li Chen losing money didn't sit well with her either.
Thus, she found herself trapped in a dilemma.
At this moment, however, she couldn't care about all that.
After finishing dinner with Li Chen, she headed straight for the hotel.
"This is the last day. I'm leaving tomorrow—take me!"
Natasha was resolute and intensely wild, as if determined to etch this feeling deep into her memory.
"I haven't forgotten your promise to heal me."
...
While Li Chen was embroiled in his earth-shaking battle, Bayonetta and Jeanne were roaming outside.
Following the source of magical energy, they arrived outside another bar.
"The magic is right inside."
They were quite fond of seeking—or rather, exploring.
Since they had no friends or family here anyway, they might as well do something they enjoyed.
Such as finding the sorcerers' bar, and now this place...
Standing outside the bar, they were stopped by two burly men dressed in black.
"Bayonetta, do you smell that?"
"The scent of blood."
Bayonetta nodded gracefully. Wearing her classic outfit and glasses, she looked exceptionally alluring.
Even the two bouncers at the door felt a stir of desire facing this ultimate, eleven-head-proportioned, bespectacled beauty.
"Handsome, we just want to go inside and have some fun."
Jeanne deliberately put on a flirtatious tone.
Facing the enchanting, white-haired witch, the two guards exchanged a glance and broke into wicked smiles.
Stepping aside, they flashed suggestive smirks. "Alright then. Have fun."
Bayonetta smiled as well. "Don't worry, everyone will have 'fun'!"
The two women walked in on high heels, their steps clicking rhythmically, though the sound was quickly drowned out by the music inside.
The bar was perpetually filled with frantic music that made it impossible to find peace of mind.
However, a distinct scent of blood became even clearer to their senses.
Witches possessed extraordinary physical capabilities; people like Bayonetta and Jeanne could even survive in the vacuum of the universe.
They exchanged a glance, confirming that there was a major issue with this place.
They continued walking deeper inside and instantly became the center of attention.
Nearly everyone in the bar was staring at them, their sinister eyes glowing with a faint green light, like a starving pack of wolves locking onto prey.
Yet Bayonetta and Jeanne acted as though they hadn't noticed a thing.
They walked straight to the counter and took their seats.
Beside them, a pale-faced white people male with eyes ringed like a giant panda asked, "First time here, ladies?"
Bayonetta looked at him with amusement, then pinched her nose. "You really stink."
The heavy scent of blood on this man made Bayonetta, who had long suppressed her battle lust, itch to draw her guns.
Such blunt words made the pale man's face turn grim as he gripped his glass tightly.
Bayonetta and her companion couldn't care less about him, though. Jeanne spoke up, "Two drinks, please."
"We don't have alcohol here, only blood."
The bartender didn't budge, merely wiping a glass while watching the two of them.
It was like watching two innocent little sheep wander into a wolf pack.
"Then you're quite a disappointment."
Bayonetta sighed, turning to Jeanne and asking, "What's going on here?"
"They must be what human legends call vampires."
Jeanne remarked, "Creatures that can't bear the light, surviving solely by drinking blood. For hideous things like this, there is only slaughter."
Bayonetta nodded in agreement.
Hearing their conversation, the nearby members of the Vampire race realized that these two had come specifically to provoke them.
In that case, they had no one to blame but themselves!
"Get them! Their blood must be delicious."
"I can already smell how sweet it is!"
"Stupid little bitches, looking for a death wish!"
The surrounding vampires couldn't restrain themselves any longer and lunged straight at them.
Even the music in the bar escalated into a raging frenzy at that very moment.
The female vampire DJing up on the stage tossed off her undergarments and went wild on the beats.
In an instant, the entire bar was flooded with bloodlust.
And the two seamlessly coordinated witches sprang into action immediately.
With a quick flick of their hands, Bayonetta and Jeanne summoned pistols into their grip.
Bang, bang, bang!
The two witches' pistols were forged from magic, possessing extraordinary lethality.
Even Angels couldn't withstand them, let alone these vampires; there wasn't even any need for ultraviolet bullets.
Moreover, guns appeared not only in their hands but also on their high heels.
Thus, the witches' combat was like dancing ballet, occasionally raising high kicks and strafing while standing tall.
Bayonetta's weapons were strikingly gorgeous, their blue exteriors spewing red flashes of fire like roses covered in thorns.
Bang, bang, bang!
Yet the gunfire failed to drown out the pounding music.
For they noticed that these vampires regenerated remarkably fast—even after having their limbs blasted off, taking a single sip of drink allowed them to recover rapidly.
They merely ended up slightly weaker than before.
"Now this is getting fun."
Bayonetta nudged up her glasses; the bespectacled beauty's interest was officially piqued.
Chapter 137: More Ruthless Than Blade
Outside the bar, it was still quiet. Bored, Arcee remained parked by the curb.
She had just made a sound, scaring off a thief.
The thief had attempted to quietly break into a car to steal something, only to be frightened away by her horn.
This was one of Arcee's few amusements.
Perhaps because she was painted so pink, no one approached her at all.
Inside the bar, however, it had already turned into a bloody tempest.
Bayonetta and Jeanne realized that after a round of fighting, these vampires were barely injured.
"Interesting. Could it be that they can't be killed?"
"Of course not, but in human folklore, certain items are needed—like crosses or something."
Jeanne was more familiar with this era and had heard plenty of stories about vampires.
Bayonetta, on the other hand, was as pure as a blank sheet of paper despite being over five hundred years old.
Only in battle did she become somewhat composed.
Just like now, she popped a lollipop into her mouth, her sultry long tongue rolling around it.
"Keep them coming, children."
Compared to her age, these vampires were indeed children.
Fear and wariness filled the eyes of the vampires.
After that clash—or rather, complete slaughter—they had already realized these two women were not to be trifled with.
With their nerve broken, the bartender immediately crouched down to report to his superiors.
"Boss, two women came into the bar looking for trouble."
"Yes, they're human."
"We have no grudge against them, but they started killing the moment they walked in."
The bartender peeked out and swallowed hard. "We're doomed... They can't regenerate from this. Even their bodies have been blasted to dust!"
This was because Bayonetta had noticed their regenerative abilities.
Fast regeneration? Can you still regenerate if blown to smithereens?
She treated it like an experiment, and evidently, these vampires couldn't do it.
Thus, Bayonetta and Jeanne moved like two ballerinas, executing elegant maneuvers while ripping the vampires to shreds.
Too bad Li Chen wasn't here, or he would certainly have appreciated the spectacle.
He always said watching women fight was a sight to behold.
"Bang!"
While the bartender was still speaking, a sudden gunshot blasted right through his head.
His head split wide open, yet he didn't die immediately.
"Whatever else can be said about vampires, your vitality is quite resilient."
Bayonetta said, resting a long leg on a chair and leaning forward. "Too bad you're so weak."
With only half a head left, the bartender managed to choke out, "Don't get cocky... We're only the lowest tier of the Vampire race. You killed our people... someone will come for you soon."
"Oh?"
To his surprise, Bayonetta's eyes lit up. "Then let them come. I was just getting a bit bored."
She was a combat witch. Days without fighting bored her immensely; she needed opponents right about now.
At that moment, she noticed the still-connected telephone receiver.
She picked it up and took another lick of her lollipop. "Are you the mastermind?"
Silence lingered on the other end before a voice replied, "Who are you? Why are you attacking us?"
"Your people refused to serve me drinks."
Bayonetta chuckled. "Besides, I hate bloodsuckers. Just as disgusting as those Angels."
The person on the other end was bewildered, but Bayonetta was already paying him no mind.
Jeanne called out, "Bayonetta, that guy is trying to run!"
A vampire who looked middle-aged was trying to flee, yet Bayonetta didn't even budge.
She merely spread her arms, and the clothes on her body began to swirl wildly, unraveling into strands of hair.
Leaving her body, the black hair gathered in midair, transforming into a massive infernal beast.
Then, it swallowed the fleeing vampire in one bite.
"Roar!"
Bayonetta simply struck a pose until the hair returned to her, weaving back into clothes that covered her snow-white body once more.
Jeanne couldn't bear to watch. "Why don't you pull this move in front of Li? He definitely wouldn't blink."
"He can look whenever he wants."
Bayonetta couldn't care less about having her clothes stripped away just now.
No one had seen it anyway, and even if they had, those guys were 'dead.'
Didn't that mean nobody saw?
As for Jeanne? She was merely envious.
Without a single drop of blood staining them, the two witches strolled straight out of the bar.
The bar was now completely silent; not a single vampirehad survived.
It was half an hour later when reinforcements finally arrived.
A vampire in a black trench coat cautiously pushed open the door, only to find the air thick with the stench of blood.
Shortly after, a group filed in, guarding a high-ranking figure in their midst.
"Boss, they're all gone."
"Even more ruthless than Blade!"
"Where on earth did this vampire hunter come from?"
The other vampires' expressions darkened at the sight.
Even Blade wasn't this brutal when slaying vampires. The corpses inside the bar were reduced to pieces so shredded that they couldn't even be pieced back together.
As it turned out, vampires weren't Deadpool—once chopped to pieces, they truly couldn't survive.
The member of the Vampire race flanked in the middle didn't look pleased either.
Within the vampire hierarchy, there was strict division based on bloodline Origins and seniority.
Aside from progenitor vampires like Varnae and Dracula, the rest were ranked as 'Prince - Duke - Marquess - Count.'
Because these ordinary vampires had all been sired and converted by Dracula or other vampires,
no matter how long they lived, they could never challenge Dracula's status.
The man before them was a vampire count.
He was stronger than ordinary vampires, but he could also tell just how ruthless the perpetrator had been.
"It wasn't Blade."
He spoke, "It was a woman—an extremely dangerous woman."
Bayonetta's nonchalant attitude gave even him chills.
Regardless...
"Blood must be paid with blood. Otherwise, no one will fear our Vampire race."
Sometimes you don't back down just because an enemy is powerful; you must act to maintain the dignity of the Vampire race.
Otherwise, they wouldn't be able to survive in human society.
In truth, by this point in time, high-ranking officials were no strangers to the existence of vampires. The Vampire racehad even established several medical institutions that not only manufactured synthetic blood bags but also collected blood.
In America, selling blood had become a necessary choice for ordinary people to survive.
If an ordinary person sold blood twice a week, their earnings could reach between 400 and 1,000 dollars.
Could ordinary people struggling to survive really refuse such a 'good deal'?
With 200,000 people selling blood every day in America, making it the world's largest blood bank, where did all that blood go?
The Vampire race deserved the most credit for that.
They were grateful to America; if not for America's existence, getting blood would have meant risking sneaking up on humans.
Unlike now, where all it took was spending a few dollars.
Chapter 138: The Pinker the Bike, the Harder the Strike
The incident at the vampire bar was reported up through the ranks within the Vampire race, quickly drawing serious attention.
Yet in this era, tracking someone down was no easy task.
Consequently, word of two alluring women riding a pink motorcycle reached the Vampire race.
One favored a black bodysuit, while the other had white hair and loved bright red.
Moreover, that pink motorcycle was exceptionally eye-catching.
"Riding something so pink, who would've thought they'd hit so hard!"
a vampire count muttered.
Several vampires nodded silently at those words; they hadn't seen such ruthless figures in a long time.
Even though they were of the Vampire race and accustomed to blood, taking a look inside the bar had still been hard to stomach.
Yet those two women had walked away expressionlessly, practically like devils.
Who were the real vampires here?
Deacon Frost was a true high-ranking figure within the Vampire race, immensely ambitious, and the killer who took Blade's mother's life.
Without hesitation, he said, "No matter who they are, anyone who provokes our Vampire race must pay the price. Find them and drain them dry."
"With beauties that stunning, just draining them dry right away is a bit of a waste. I suggest we bring them in first, hehe..."
Several male vampires chuckled.
Top-tier women like that were unmatched even within the Vampire race.
Bayonetta's figure in particular packed an unmistakable impact, even just through a screen.
Of course, Jeanne was not lacking in the slightest either.
"Once we capture them, they're all yours."
Although Deacon Frost desired them too, his ambition was greater: he wanted to control the entire Vampire race.
Yet above all vampires stood an old relic named Dracula.
He was the progenitor of the Vampire race, a presence none of them could escape.
In comparison, women simply weren't that important.
The Vampire race was quite efficient, mainly because they never let a grudge go unavenged.
Through surveillance footage, they quickly tracked down Bayonetta and Jeanne and even discovered where they had come from.
"The Master of this manor is a Hollywood tycoon, though he's Chinese."
"Since when can a Chinese stand at the pinnacle of Hollywood?"
"Most importantly, he doesn't have a security team—just a female driver. Looks like no one has taught him a lesson yet."
The vampires were old relics, slow to adapt to new things, and had no clue about what had been happening recently.
So they merely thought Li Chen was rather absurd.
Other tycoons traveled with security teams, especially in America—who wouldn't be afraid of getting shot?
Yet Li Chen swaggered around so brazenly.
"Those two women are probably his backing. Now that we know, go get ready."
"What an utter waste. How could someone like him get to enjoy such top-tier women?"
The vampires seethed with bitter jealousy.
...
The next day, when Li Chen woke up, there was no sign of Natasha beside him.
He only found a note on the bedside table.
Natasha had taken a S.H.I.E.L.D. plane straight back to New York.
"This woman..."
Li Chen chuckled and shook his head, not even having had the chance to see her off.
Still, "recharging" had certainly paid off, as it had led to another round of solemn vows of eternal love.
To be honest, even he didn't believe them.
After washing up, Li Chen didn't go home, heading straight to the company instead.
Jubilee had been eyeing her boss in the rearview mirror; seeing the hickey on his neck, she knew he had gone fooling around again.
Pure envy and jealousy!
Jubilee had a thousand thoughts swirling in her head, but she drove quickly, and they soon arrived at the company.
Although he had achieved considerable success, Li Chendidn't slow his pace.
rick and morty had brought in a massive amount of prestige points, stoking Li Chen's ambitions even further.
Naturally, he wanted even more good things.
Over the next few months, Starlight Pictures had plenty of projects lined up.
First was nier: automata, deliberately spaced a few months apart from Bayonetta.
No company was stupid enough to pit its own projects against each other.
Then came the movie Lucy and the others.
By now, it was almost September.
Post-production on Lucy would also take a month or two.
It could hit theaters early next year.
However, that wasn't an ideal release window, so it wouldn't hit theaters until after April 2010 at the latest.
Television dramas, on the other hand, didn't depend on release windows. game of thrones was already in full swing of production—and in a very bold fashion, planning to shoot a single episode first to test the waters.
If it performed well, filming would continue.
This was standard practice for many American pay-TV shows; when uncertain about a series' prospects, they would usually produce and air a pilot episode or two to gauge audience enthusiasm.
If there was buzz, they would continue filming; if nobody watched? They would simply scrap it.
This model significantly saved on production costs, avoiding the disaster of filming an entire season only to lose one's shirt.
It wasn't that they lacked confidence in game of thrones, but rather Paramount and the others felt the budget was simply too high.
Prior to this, there had never been a television series with such a massive investment nationwide in the US.
Over a hundred million dollars!
Never mind a TV show—that was enough to shoot Titanic!
Yet Li Chen still felt it was too little.
What was this? Later seasons of game of thrones cost over ten million dollars per episode.
Of course, that was mainly due to the soaring salaries of the actors.
So this time, Li Chen had the company sign multi-season long-term contracts with the actors right from the start.
Even if pay increases occurred down the line, they wouldn't be absurdly inflated.
Besides, most of the actors were their own people.
Especially for several lead roles.
The daughters of the Stark family were all claimed by Kitty Pryde and the others.
There was another pleasant surprise: Cersei.
Li Chen contacted Jean Grey directly, and Jean agreed without a moment's hesitation.
What woman didn't crave the spotlight?
So Jean ditched Cyclops straight away and came to meet her patron.
A bored Mystique was shoved into the cast by Li Chen as well; in any case, this kind of show had tons of characters, so no one would be left out.
After all, Li Chen didn't care much about the so-called original cast.
Even so, for certain crucial roles, he still sought out people he was familiar with.
For instance, the Mother of Dragons.
This role required immense sacrifice, and Kitty Pryde and the others weren't willing to do overly explicit scenes on camera.
So Li Chen had someone track down Emilia Clarke instead.
She was British, and before landing this role, she was undoubtedly an unknown nobody.
So when Starlight Pictures extended an olive branch, she jumped at the chance without hesitation.
Although the Mother of Dragons had various flaws, her younger self was still undeniably stunning.
Provided, of course, that she didn't laugh.
The moment she smiled, the illusion completely crumbled.
Yet as long as she kept from smiling, she truly was a beauty.
Apart from that, there was Iron Man.
Negotiations between Starlight Pictures and Stark Industries were progressing steadily, with both sides aiming to secure the most favorable terms.
Tony Stark, on the other hand, was having a blast in Los Angeles, not even bothering with Stark Industries—after all, he had Pepper.
Chapter 139: Striking First
After a busy day, Master Li decided to head home and get some rest.
"I won't be going to the Hellfire Club today."
Li Chen said to Jubilee, "You should head back and rest early too."
He had arranged living quarters for Jubilee not far from the manor.
"Okay."
Jubilee looked somewhat reluctant to leave.
She wanted to move into the manor too. By all rights, as the boss's driver, how could she not count as one of their own?
Before Li Chen could even catch his breath, however, Bayonetta's long legs filled his vision.
Li Chen looked up and breathed a sigh of relief; thank goodness it wasn't Faora.
"Li, there's something I must tell you."
Bayonetta told Li Chen about The Hunt for vampires she and Jeanne had engaged in.
They had wanted to mention it when they returned last night.
As it turned out, Li Chen hadn't come home for the night.
They looked at Li Chen with slight apprehension, since this technically counted as stirring up trouble.
Who would have thought Li Chen would immediately say, "Splendidly done."
Li Chen said to Faora, who was walking over, "Looks like we have work to do."
Faora showed a hint of regret, which promptly turned cold and laced with a touch of murderous intent. "Then let's wipe out those damned creatures."
Li Chen had no fondness for vampires.
In his perception, such creatures were utterly repulsive.
Of course, if it were a female vampire like Selina, the female lead from Underworld, that would be a different matter.
People were all superficial; beauty was justice.
However, in Bayonetta's description, this Vampire race was thoroughly repulsive.
Especially since they had dared to treat Bayonetta as prey.
A man as protective of his own as Li Chen naturally couldn't stand for that.
"In that case, we strike first."
Li Chen stated.
The vampires clearly wouldn't back down, so he naturally couldn't let the enemy reach the manor.
Li Chen hadn't forgotten that ninjas from The Hand had tracked down this place before.
Though there were no real losses, it had ruined Li Chen's mood.
Nobody liked people causing destruction in their own home.
Therefore, Li Chen learned his lesson this time and planned to strike first.
Speaking of which, The Hand had to be mentioned.
Likely out of fear of Li Chen's retaliation, White Queen told him that all operatives of The Hand had withdrawn from Los Angeles.
Seeing their decisive retreat, Li Chen had no desire to waste time chasing them down, so he let it slide.
As long as they didn't appear before Li Chen's eyes again, he wouldn't bother with them.
A sudden gust of wind blew Saitama over as well: "Li, do you need me to step in?"
Having learned that Li Chen was going to take action, Saitama felt somewhat uneasy about freeloading food and drink off him all this time.
"No need, Master Saitama. The house still needs your protection."
Li Chen smiled and said, "I'll leave Ram, Rem, and the others in your care."
"No problem."
Saitama said, "With me around, not even a single mosquito will fly in."
"Bzzzt!"
Right after he spoke, a buzzing sound echoed across the hall.
Bayonetta and Jeanne fought hard to stifle their laughter.
Saitama, on the other hand, grew furious: "I refuse to believe I can't swat you down!"
His hands moved fast enough to blur into afterimages, yet strangely enough, he simply couldn't hit the mosquito flying through the air.
This caused everyone to completely lose their composure.
Even Faora, who was exceedingly wary of Saitama, burst into laughter.
She could tell that this bald man named Saitama was unimaginably strong.
Even as a Kryptonian who had bathed in the sun, she was not confident she could defeat him.
Thus, Li Chen and the others were in no rush, choosing instead to enjoy the dinner Rem had prepared.
The Blind Side of vampires was all too obvious: they slept by day and emerged by night, incapable of moving under the sunlight, or intense ultraviolet rays would instantly reduce them to ash.
So there was no need to worry about them making a move during the day.
Taking advantage of the freshly set sun, Li Chen and the others enjoyed Rem's dinner.
"Rem, your culinary skills keep improving."
Li Chen praised the little maid.
Rem gave a faint smile, accepting her Master's praise.
Ram smiled and chimed in, "Master, Rem works very hard. She studies new cuisines online every single day."
"Is there anything you want, then? Master ought to reward you."
Li Chen looked at Rem and asked.
Rem blushed and shook her head: "Being able to stay by Master's side is already the greatest happiness."
She worked this hard simply because she didn't want to be discarded.
There were more and more people in the manor now. Even though she was the first to arrive, she felt incapable of helping Master in other aspects, leaving her only to fulfill her duties as a maid to the utmost.
Li Chen pulled both Ram and Rem close and said, "Rest assured, Master will never abandon you."
Nami was far more relaxed; having finished her meal, she immediately went over to eat strawberries.
Popping them one by one, she had no other worries.
She only wished to freeload delicious food and drink alongside Li Chen; everything else didn't matter in the slightest.
...
Night fell, and Li Chen's group had eaten and drunk their fill.
Li Chen and Faora climbed into Bumblebee, while Bayonetta and Jeanne had taken a liking to Arcee.
They had always preferred riding motorcycles, finding cars rather cumbersome.
One behind the other, the two vehicles drove away from the manor.
Locating vampires hidden within the city would be somewhat challenging for ordinary people.
Because vampires didn't appear much different from humans, and as long as they didn't deliberately bare their fangs, regular people would never suspect their existence.
To most individuals, vampires were merely an elusive urban legend.
For Li Chen, however, possessing Super Vision and Super Hearing made pinpointing vampires child's play.
He didn't even need to intervene; Faora merely scanned the area with her glowing red eyes and found them.
"Found a stronghold. Lucky for us, they've all gathered together, seemingly intending to make a move against us."
Faora sneered coldly.
Li Chen's methods suited her taste; when confronted with a threat, one naturally eliminated it rather than waiting for them to arrive at one's doorstep.
Sure enough, the vampires were already preparing to strike back.
She disliked passive defense; her nature was to take the offensive, no matter the circumstance.
That was also why Li Chen found her overwhelming.
Offense was invariably far fiercer than defense.
"Then let's head straight there."
Li Chen retrieved the 'superman glasses' and put them on.
Supposedly, wearing glasses made one's punches hit even harder.
Faora was dressed in her black Kryptonian battle suit.
This made Li Chen thoroughly envious; he fancied black suits as well, but sadly hadn't drawn one.
"Can you make a suit like this for me?"
Li Chen asked Faora.
Faora replied with an icy expression, "I'm not a scientist."
"Well, aren't you quite proud of that."
That tsundere look of hers made it seem as though she was capable of everything else.
In reality, she knew nothing outside of combat.
Such was the flaw of Kryptonian genetics.
From the moment Faora was engineered, it was impossible for her to become a scientist, as her genetics simply did not allow it.
So asking her was virtually casting pearls before swine; she likely didn't even know what materials comprised the suit, rendering even her Super Brain useless.
Her Super Brain would only inform her that it was time to unleash Super Strength...
Chapter 140: Never Regarded as Kin
Deacon Frost gathered the powerful Vampire race of Los Angeles.
In this secret stronghold, there were quite a few vampires; aside from those with combat capability, plenty of cannon fodder had also been summoned.
If there was one thing the Vampire race had plenty of, it was cannon fodder.
Those who had been embraced by lower Vampire racemembers were only slightly stronger than ordinary humans, but in large numbers, they could still make an impact.
The Vampire race had a strict hierarchy, and rising through the ranks was difficult, requiring seniority to be earned over time.
A summons from higher-ranking Vampire race members had to be obeyed, even if they were unwilling.
"Lord Frost, you must have a reason for summoning us here."
"Who is our enemy?"
Several Vampire race Dukes, still clueless about the situation, approached Deacon Frost.
Deacon Frost said with dignity, "Raman, Ian, do not be in a hurry."
"Some humans have challenged the majesty of our Vampire race. They must be taught a lesson."
"Otherwise, the human upper echelons will treat us like soft targets they can push around at will."
Hearing his words, the several Vampire race Dukes quieted down.
The relationship between vampires and human elites was complicated.
Unlike Mutants, who were born that way, remained mysterious to humans, and whom humans could never become, vampires were different.
vampires were different—if the human elites wanted to... they could become vampires.
Moreover, for certain people, the greatest allure of a vampire was eternal life.
Although there were drawbacks—namely, never being able to see the sun—as long as they could To Live, it tempted countless people.
Of course, while some were tempted, others scoffed.
Many among the human upper echelons wanted to completely eliminate vampires, dividing themselves into two factions.
Thus, life was difficult for the Vampire race as well; caught in the cracks, they had to rely on formidable martial force to deter humanity and could not afford to appear weak.
Consequently, they were extremely reactive, retaliating the moment they were provoked.
"Who provoked us?"
Raman asked.
"Two humans. Women."
The moment Deacon Frost said this, everyone looked at each other in bewilderment.
"Weak women?"
They found it ridiculous.
Even within the Vampire race, powerful female members were exceedingly rare.
Of course, Lilith, the Mother of vampires, did not count, as she was no longer merely part of the Vampire race.
Deacon Frost swept a cold glare across them. "They are not weak. They are the ones who raided the bar. Though they were all low-ranking Vampire race members, not a single one survived."
"They harbor a profound hatred toward our Vampire raceand are mortal enemies with whom we fight to the death."
When he had heard the report from his subordinates, he had felt utterly speechless.
They had had no prior grudge, yet merely because the bartender refused to serve them drinks, they slaughtered every vampire there.
Although he knew there was bound to be more to the story—such as the Vampire race setting their sights on their 'fresh blood'—
It was only a little bit of blood! Ordinary humans donated blood twice a week without any problems!
Setting facts aside, weren't those two humans at fault at all?
"In that case, they must be destroyed!"
Duke Raman agreed.
"Thank you for gathering together."
Just then, a pink motorcycle descended from the sky.
Arcee: I'm clearly an Autobots, so why am I flying?
Indeed, it was all thanks to Bayonetta's driving skills.
She drove Arcee directly onto the adjacent rooftop and executed a 'Hero landing'.
"Boom!"
Arcee crashed down heavily. The already heavy female Autobots, combined with the weight of two witches, instantly crushed an unlucky vampire into minced meat.
Blood splattered in every direction!
Bayonetta, however, merely held guns in both hands, blew across the barrels, and playfully remarked, "This way, I don't have to search for you one by one. Hunting that way is far too inefficient!"
Under the moonlight, the two witches looked like aloof goddesses.
"It's them!"
Seeing the two witches, Deacon Frost's face immediately darkened.
He was not afraid. No matter how strong these two women were, could they really turn the Vampire raceupside down?
After all, most of those gathered here were formidable members of the Vampire race, not mere ants like before.
"We haven't even gone looking for you, yet you dare deliver yourselves to our door. You truly seek death!"
Hearing Deacon Frost's words, Bayonetta looked over. "Looks like you're the ringleader. You're a dead man—I said it."
"Arrogant!"
Deacon Frost was infuriated. "Now, not even God can save you!"
"Attack! Whoever takes them down gets to enjoy them first!"
A hefty reward always draws brave souls, and the eyes of the Vampire race present turned blood-red.
Bayonetta and Jeanne provoked far too deep a desire for conquest.
Everyone wanted to vent their desires ruthlessly upon them.
Just then, however, another voice spoke up.
"God didn't come, but I have."
Faora's cold voice echoed from the sky.
Several high-ranking vampires looked up, their eyes narrowing instantly.
Without anyone noticing when, a figure had already eclipsed the moon, floating suspended in midair as the cold wind fluttered the cape behind her.
"A bunch of filthy creatures. Indeed, no longer human."
Faora felt immense disgust toward them.
In the past, Krypton had conquered across the universe; the Kryptonian Empire had carved out vast territories and encountered countless disgusting creatures, most of which were eradicated by the Kryptonians.
To Faora, such mutated humanoid creatures were utterly unforgivable!
"I will never regard these filthy things as my kin, nor will I ever accept them."
"Bang!"
Perhaps because Faora's oppressive presence was too overwhelming, a vampire cannon fodder panicked and pulled the trigger on her.
"Rat-tat-tat!"
This immediately triggered a chain reaction, and most of the vampires opened Fire toward Faora in the sky.
The Vampire race kept up with the times as well; cold weapons had long been abandoned by them. Who would use a sword when they had guns?
What terrified Deacon Frost and the others, however, was that Faora didn't even bother dodging in the sky, allowing the bullets to rain upon her body.
No one knew what her black battle suit was made of; no matter what caliber bullet struck her, it produced at most a few sparks before every single one bounced off.
A few unlucky bastards were even hit by ricocheting bullets.
Fortunately, the Vampire race healed quickly, so minor gunshot wounds like these were nothing.
Once everyone had emptied a magazine, Faora remained floating in the air.
Under the terrified gazes of the entire Vampire race, she simply tilted her head. "Finished shooting? What weak weapons."
Immediately after, her figure vanished in an instant.
Like an afterimage, by the time Deacon Frost caught sight of her again, she had already plunged into their ranks like a tiger among a flock of sheep.
He had never imagined that the words 'flock of sheep' could one day be used to describe the mighty Vampire race.
In his memory, the Vampire race had always been formidable, endowed with innate gifts that inferior races like humans could never rival.
Yet now, his worldview had been completely shattered.