Chapter 185: Superhero

At Outstanding Rising Film Company, inside Jiang Heng's office.

Hu Ge sat on the sofa, slightly restrained; born in 1982, he is only 22 now.

In the Neidi entertainment circle he's a nobody; when he meets ordinary TV directors, he must respectfully call them teacher.

A big boss and director of Jiang Heng's stature is, to him, a figure to look up to.

"Don't be too restrained, be casual!"

The assistant brought over a few cups of coffee; Jiang Heng lifted one, took a sip, and said with a smile.

Cai Yinong also said, "Director Jiang is renowned in the Chinese‑language entertainment circle for being…!"

Jiang Heng laughed, "It's rare for Director Cai to praise me; you should take it seriously!"

Hu Ge's expression turned shocked at the words, and for a moment he didn't know how to respond.

He immediately said, "One's appearance reflects the heart; just by looking, Director Jiang seems like a great benevolent person!"

Hu Ge, quick on the uptake, asked, "Modern urban setting?"

Cai Yinong couldn't help but say, "Like Superman or Spider‑Man, a super‑hero?"

If Hu Ge could play the male lead in Jiang Heng's film, he would surely become a top domestic star, possibly an international one!

Hu Ge was also happy, but his youthful mind kept sensing something odd and he frowned.

He immediately said, "If you put it that way, I actually have a chance! Within three years, I'll produce a super‑hero movie, and there's a character I think fits you well!"

Cai Yinong was overjoyed and couldn't help but say, "Great, really great!"

Hu Ge, hearing that, could only explain, "I have no intention of causing trouble; it's just that super‑heroes like Superman or Spider‑Man seem odd in a domestic setting, haha!"

Jiang Heng smiled, "The basis of cooperation is honesty; any thoughts should be voiced up front to avoid future trouble!"

Jiang Heng laughed heartily, "'Great benevolent person'—that phrase sounds fresh!"

Hu Ge said, "Earlier Director Jiang donated the mainland box‑office share of The Matrix 3 to improve education and medical conditions in impoverished mountain regions, helping many; I greatly admire that. I simply lack the ability now, but if an opportunity arises later, I will learn from Director Jiang and give back to society."

Jiang Heng laughed, "What? Any ideas, just say them directly!"

The person who had just been restrained and didn't know what to say, in the blink of an eye, began flattering himself, subtly requesting resources.

Cai Yinong, with a surprised face, hurriedly said, "There's definitely nothing wrong, Director Jiang; we will cooperate fully, fully!"

Jiang Heng has an excellent reputation in the industry; he's not someone who talks nonsense.

Hu Ge, not daring to claim otherwise, quickly said there wasn't.

Jiang Heng said, "I guess so; the story takes place in the future!"

He mentioned the three‑year timeframe and the film's genre, and indeed there is such a character being considered for Hu Ge to play.

Cai Yinong and Hu Ge, hearing this, were overjoyed beyond expectation.

This time Jiang Heng was stunned, silently reflecting that few people manage to make it in the entertainment circle without being ordinary.

Cai Yinong, hearing that, was almost scared to death, wanting to grab Hu Ge's neck and shake him, asking, "What on earth are you thinking?"

"You call that having no unpleasant thoughts? If you keep talking like this, it's not just a matter of losing the role; you might even lose the whole film!"

If Jiang Heng thought it over and suddenly said, "Hmm, I feel the same, so don't be scared; she can't even find a pitch when she cries!"

"Director Jiang, don't listen to his nonsense; I think it's quite good."

Jiang Heng laughed, "I know what he means; actually, I feel the same!"

This time, it was again Cai Yinong and Hu Ge who were stunned.

Speaking of the super‑hero genre, it is indeed a weak type in Chinese‑language cinema; after all these years, no critically acclaimed and box‑office hit has emerged.

The earliest such film domestically appeared in the 1970s, Shaw Studios' "Chinese Superman" starring Li Xiuxian. Because it was painfully garish, the whole genre was abandoned by the Xianggang market.

As for the mainland, in 1994 a film called "Flying Centipede" was made, starring Qu Ying as the female lead, a top beauty at the peak of her looks. The whole movie, from style to costumes, mimicked Batman, but the public couldn't understand people in cosplay wielding a submachine gun with infinite bullets, so the film flopped.

The most famous domestic "super‑hero" film is Li Lianjie's "Black Knight", whose style stitches together many Western movies, and its quality is very average.

As for the later series of web‑film style "super‑hero movies", there's no such thing as the most cringeworthy—only more cringeworthy.

In short, China does make "super‑hero movies", but the results aren't great.

The first reason is a lack of "soil"; Haolaiwu super‑hero films mostly originate from comics, and the domestic comics market has never been robust. You can't adapt characters like Big Bear, Little Bear, Pleasant Goat, or Blue Cat.

Another factor is the source of power; Haolaiwu super‑heroes are always "the rich rely on technology, the poor rely on mutation". The problem is that many domestic tycoons, even when wealthy, don't study technology but instead figure out how to extract more money from the public, effectively blocking the first logical route.

The poor relying on mutation is even less plausible—how do they mutate? From radioactive sources? Where do those come from?

Other aspects like villains and fight locations are also very practical issues.

In Haolaiwu movies, every few installments they destroy the Statue of Liberty, bomb the White House, or demolish the Golden Gate Bridge.

In the mainland, well, don't even think about it.

Hence the story is set in the future, using the "League of Legends"‑derived "Super God Academy: Heroic Legion".

Considering that the game "League of Legends" launched its Western server in 2009, Jiang Heng really has to act quickly.

Now, seeing that 2005 is approaching, Jiang Heng is preparing to become a game company, providing the game's story background and various hero character designs so they can launch the game promptly.

Then Jiang Heng can release related animations such as "La La La Demasia" and "Super God Academy".

Therefore, the movie "Heroic Legion" cannot be filmed immediately.

That's why he told Hu Ge that the timeframe is within three years.

Jiang Heng briefly said that the story takes place in a future world where humans, gods, and various races coexist.

As for the script, halfway through he thought the setting could become a game, so he repurposed it for a game.

Cai Yinong and Hu Ge were stunned, but recalling that "The Legend of Sword and Fairy" was adapted from a game of the same name, turning a TV series into a game seemed not wrong at all!

The "Immortal Execution" that Jiang Heng previously published attracted a game company that wanted to adapt it into a game.

However, Jiang Heng wanted to handle the adaptation himself, so he declined.

Cai Yinong and Hu Ge, this time, basically had their expectations met.

First, they received the fees from "The Legend of Sword and Fairy"; second, they got Jiang Heng's character invitation.

In Cai Yirong's view, this is more worthy of joy than money.

But unexpectedly, just as they were about to leave, Jiang Heng gave another big surprise: "Right, in a couple of years they'll release Chinese Paladin 3, and Hu Jie will still play the male lead!"

(End of chapter)