Chapter 74 1/2

The current situation is that the officials say these disaster relief devices are props, but netizens just don’t believe it.

It’s not entirely their fault; mainly, if you say the underwater life-saving robot is a prop, they can reluctantly believe it. After all, even though it’s called a life-saving robot, it doesn’t have a humanoid appearance. It looks like a square yellow box, somewhat similar to the underwater rescue devices on the market.

It’s just that it looks too cool.

But the mechanical dog, along with the work vehicle with a large mechanical arm, doesn’t look like something a crew could create as “props.”

The main thing is that they blatantly participated in the disaster relief operation.

Even though the crew is famous for realistic props in “The Cultivator,” it’s only the appearance that is real; you never see a real dragon fly or little elves activate sect protective shields.

Although this example is a bit extreme, it indirectly indicates that everyone feels the official response is more far-fetched.

The officials are also helpless and can only use a more serious and stern tone to explain in detail.

“The ‘Interstellar Battle’ crew collaborated with university students to ensure the viewing experience.”

The official from the “Interstellar Battle” crew also stepped forward, releasing photos of these “future products” on the set, along with some actors in casual clothes, with the caption:

【Really just props.】

Netizens: “…”

Shengquan’s previous collaboration with university students for scientific research had been reported by both entertainment and more official media when she was praised by the central government.

However, at that time, everyone praised her but never thought that it would actually produce results.

【These look like high-tech gadgets from the future. Are you telling me a group of university students made them in a year?】

【To be honest, I don’t believe it very much. If it were some more experienced mentors, I might believe a little.】

【Damn, whether it’s real or fake, I believe it anyway. Watching the movie is not important! The key is! Is there merchandise?!】

【That mechanical dog is too classy, and it looks very agile. Was it really made by students?】

【I remember, I remember, it’s invested by Shengdong, and it seems like the students from C University always call her senior sister because of this.】

Someone speculated:

【Is there a possibility, I mean, just a possibility, that our country has actually developed high-tech similar to these mechanical dogs, but it’s still in a classified stage? However, due to the severe flood disaster in Lucheng, they had to use them for faster disaster relief, and now it’s exposed. Coincidentally, the whole crew of “Interstellar Battle” is also participating in the relief, and it’s a sci-fi movie, so they take the blame. Just a guess, if it’s wrong, please go easy on me (eating popcorn).】

This speculation was directly upvoted, and the replies below exceeded three thousand in a day.

【Don’t forget, some research projects are actually classified. Some need to be kept secret during research, and some are kept secret even after the research is done.】 This was following along with the speculation.

【It’s true; our technology has actually entered the future era. It’s just that the country is afraid of scaring us and doesn’t announce it. But now I’m ready. Come on! Shock me with high-tech!】 This was just playing along.

【I have to say, these robotic dogs and vehicles really have that interstellar movie vibe. They might really be props; after all, we can’t leap from current technology to the interstellar era all at once, right?】 This was a serious consideration.

【Haha! I think you’re all wrong. I’m inclined to think that all these “props” are actually extraterrestrial technology. Yes, I think our Blue Star has successfully established diplomatic relations with aliens! This “accidental leak” is actually part of the plan to gradually get us to accept it.】 This couldn’t be determined if it was a serious analysis or just a joke.

Perhaps like all the marketing accounts or entertainment media worldwide, after this video became popular, foreign entertainment media quickly picked it up on the internet, and there was no attached official explanation of “props.”

So, what appeared in front of foreign netizens was a busy place with people coming and going, tents in the background, and soldiers in military uniforms working hard. Multiple “obviously futuristic creations” were present.

A tall and powerful black mechanical dog with an all-metal “skeleton” walked at a steady pace. Because a shorter girl (a crew member) happened to pass by, it highlighted its “huge” size.

The size difference was simply overwhelming.

Just like the initial reactions of Chinese netizens, foreign netizens who saw the video were also astonished.

【What is this? Is it real?】

【Those people are speaking Mandarin; the background should be in China.】

【Is it special effects? It looks too real.】

【That vehicle looks a bit like it has an exoskeleton on the outside. Oh my god, it’s so cool. What’s it used for? It looks like a specialized vehicle.】

【Has China’s technology reached the point of using mechanical dogs? Can they obey commands? Will they bite people?】

If “cultivation” was only recently popularized worldwide because of “The Cultivator,” then “high-tech” can be said to be something anyone enthusiastic about the internet is interested in.

Just like Shengquan, although life is quite comfortable with today’s technology, who wouldn’t want to live an even more comfortable and convenient life if possible?

For example, in this video, almost no one delved into questioning the vehicles with large mechanical arms. Netizens were mostly asking about the mechanical dogs.

Because it looks too cool, and it obviously can help with heavy lifting. Some even proposed the genius idea of “Can you ride it? Like riding a horse.”

After expressing their admiration with comments like “It’s so cool; I hope it’s real, but it probably isn’t,” these foreign netizens quickly received a “clarification” from Chinese netizens.

It turned out that these seemingly high-tech creations, which looked like they were created with special effects, were indeed real. Moreover, they came from a film crew in China and were their filming props.

Similar things happened, and foreign netizens also expressed shock and disbelief.

They clearly saw Chinese soldiers.

Isn’t this some kind of secret research base?

Why else would there be a need for soldiers to guard it?

At this point, someone explained:

【Chinese soldiers are not just for fighting; when major disasters occur, they mobilize to rescue the people.】

【Their military and police are highly respected by the Chinese people because, every time there is difficulty, they are always at the forefront.】

A Chinese netizen brought over the official statement:

【The reason these high-tech devices appeared there is that this film crew was shooting in the nearby city. After the flood disaster occurred, they put down their cameras and joined the disaster relief efforts.】

Even though it was different countries, after seeing news pictures and translated descriptions, the “Interstellar Battle” crew received unanimous high praise.

【Well done.】

【This kind of crew deserves support. Will their movie be released in our country?】

【Watching it gets the blood boiling.】

Of course, within these high praises, there was still skepticism about these being movie props.

If they had first appeared in a movie, everyone would naturally believe it. However, if they first appeared in a disaster relief scene and played a huge role, how could people believe they were really just props?

At this point, professionals began to appear.

Once they entered the scene, the atmosphere became more academic. These experts might be good at talking, or maybe they were actually big shots in reality. They used various professional terms and perspectives that netizens couldn’t have thought of to analyze the situation.

In the end, they reached a conclusion:

【These creations indeed require high technology, but in the research community, they are not beyond current research capabilities. Globally, there are more than a dozen teams researching projects similar to them, but they have mostly not produced results or only have prototypes.】

【And one more thing: I don’t know if anyone noticed, but the “Interstellar Battle” crew referred to them as prototypes, which means that the real products have more complete and stable performance than what is currently shown.】

【I agree with the comment on post 233. Although they are prototypes, since prototypes have appeared and can participate in filming, the finished products are definitely not far away. I’m just curious; although a year is quite long, it’s nothing for a research project. How much money did Shengquan invest?】

This was indeed a good question.

While drinking yogurt and scrolling through comments, Shengquan couldn’t help but give a thumbs-up to comment 238.

This big shot’s speculation was correct. For the project to progress so quickly, besides the fact that those students were indeed talented, an even bigger reason was:

She had been crazily pouring money into it.

In almost a year, most of the investment funds provided by the basic system had been invested in these projects.

The major portion went to Professor Chen Aihong, Gu Shuyue, and Ningzhou.

The remaining small part was divided among those smaller projects.

God knows how many times during this period Shengquan wanted to shout out the phrase, “Doing research really costs a lot of money!”

Every time a small achievement appeared, when faced with difficulties, or when there was significant progress, regardless of what these represented in research, financially, it meant she had to pour in more money.

You might think that the originally invested money was already a lot, but in reality, when a major breakthrough occurred or there was further hope, it would suddenly be realized that the amount needed was even more.

That’s why Shengquan’s investments were all made through her personal account. If it went through the company’s accounts, the higher-ups would definitely think she was crazy.

At this point, what Shengquan had persistently adhered to—creating her own source of income outside of the system—came in handy.

Starlight Entertainment had long entered the profit-making stage. Although the company’s cash flow was frequent, the TV dramas and movies invested in before were continuously generating income for the company.

Adding to that, with the artists gradually gaining fame under its umbrella, the profits created not only sustained the company’s development smoothly but also freed up funds to allocate to subsidiaries.

The revenue split from “The Cultivator” was the largest chunk, plus the ticket sales from the Ten Great Immortal Palaces. This allowed Shengquan, who had always been used to the system providing however much she needed for various research projects, to maintain a relatively well-off financial state.

However, after experiencing this flood relief effort, Shengdong had to face a dilemma: she was broke again.

This “broke” referred to her currently having only a few hundred thousand in liquid assets.

Although Shengquan felt that everything was worthwhile, it didn’t change the fact that she was once again in need of money after over a year of indulgent and lazy play.

The research projects couldn’t be counted on for the time being. Although the results were already shocking, it was not a good time to reveal the researchers behind the scenes.

This had to be coordinated with the release of “Interstellar Battle” and, after an unprecedented explosion in popularity, could achieve the best effect.

“Interstellar Battle” wouldn’t be released for at least another three months.

Moreover, Shengquan’s old habit recurred. While the previous “big investment project” was still ongoing, she always wanted to make the new investment choices as perfect as possible, preferably with two of them linked together.

While absentmindedly swiping through comments, Shengquan occasionally glanced at the TV, where TV dramas were being broadcast.

When faced with indecision, Shengquan liked to watch some old dramas she hadn’t seen before. Occasionally, she could find inspiration from them.

Of course, in doing these things, there was a plate of healthy and delicious dried fruits in front of Shengdong.

How could you watch TV dramas without snacks? Shengquan loved doing that.

After happily and indulgently watching TV dramas for two days, Shengquan suddenly noticed a shift in the online discourse. It had changed from people eagerly saying “6666” and “waiting for the movie to be released to see if it’s real or fake” to something else.

The catalyst was a relatively authoritative media outlet in K-country, using an unquestionable tone to review the three high-tech products that appeared at the disaster relief scene.

The review… How should I put it? It seemed like praise, but there was an odd undertone.