My game is depressing worldwide.

The next day.

Inside the studio.

The three of them met Yu Xiaoming, whom they hadn't seen for a month.

However, this roommate, who has the face of a popular celebrity, looked somewhat haggard at this moment.

Shen Qingtu wasn't familiar with him. He had already finished his main work and was leisurely using up his stamina at his workstation while listening to their conversation.

"Making movies or TV series?" Chen Xuan asked with a strange expression. "Why would you ask me that?"

Yu Xiaoming sighed.

"That's a long story..."

Yu Xiaoming's family runs a streaming platform that mainly produces short dramas about showing off and face-slapping, as well as low-budget horror movies, primarily self-produced.

After so many years, it's become difficult to continue growing and expanding, but we're still doing quite well.

The contradiction lies in the fact that Yu Xiaoming's parents hope that their son can take over the family business, or at the very least become an actor. With the family's resources and his natural talent, he can live a life of comfort and ease.

However, he looks down on those pretentious, face-slapping, and low-budget bad movies, and is determined to devote himself to the game industry.

When they went back to confront each other, neither side was willing to back down at first.

When things reached a stalemate, Yu Xiaoming's parents came up with a special solution.

Okay, so you look down on the low-budget, cheesy, face-slapping dramas that your family relies on for a living, and want to make a high-end, awesome, buy-to-play single-player game instead?

Isn't it said that any game you make will get a higher score than those junk games you make at home?

Okay, you can do it.

Whether it's a game, a short drama, or a low-budget knock-off movie, you can act in and produce it yourself.

Choose any option.

But ratings are useless; to survive, you have to look at revenue. There are plenty of critically acclaimed but commercially unsuccessful works in this world, and even more terrible works that can still make money.

They don't care about ratings; as long as they can make a profit, it shows they have a strong market sense. Even if the road ahead is difficult, at least they won't starve.

No matter what the project is, my family will invest 500 million.

If you lose money, don't make a fuss. Just listen to your family's arrangements and learn to take over their business. If you don't have the talent, become an actor. If they tell you to go east, you can't go west.

If they succeed in making a profit, they will not only stop interfering with Yu Xiaoming's choices, but will also provide him with money to do what he wants.

It's somewhat like a "betting agreement" within a family.

After hearing all this, Zhou Qian asked, somewhat puzzled, "Then why did you ask Brother Xuan if he could make movies or short dramas? Couldn't you just join the Asylum Studio and work on the next project?"

"There's one condition to this bet: it has to be 'my' work." Yu Xiaoming tapped his nose.

"Moreover, my husband allows me to use some of the family's resources. After considering it, I think I have a better chance of succeeding as a producer, making short dramas or low-budget bad movies."

Chen Xuan thought for a few seconds and said, "I can help you with this, and... I can solve the problem of your family's difficulties in transforming their business at its root."

Offering help is mainly out of my own need.

The system also has another task: it requires an IP adaptation, specifically an animation.

Yu Xiaoming's streaming platform is called Weird Cat. Every year, some period dramas are produced and sent to Xiaoxiba and Xiaorizi, and they have some subscribers in the local area.

Chen Xuan didn't really understand animation; he was doing this mission for the game, and exchanging defense points for game CGs was a great deal.

However, it's too troublesome to operate it yourself; it's best to have a reliable partner to cooperate with.

Yu Xiaoming is a good collaborator.

As for how to help, I already have a plan in mind.

The low-cost, face-slapping short drama format has actually existed for a long time, but it has never been able to gain mainstream acceptance.

Back then, big-budget bad movies and brainless TV dramas could make a fortune, so who would care about this stuff?

But as the market gradually became saturated and the blue ocean turned into a red ocean, things changed.

The film and television industry has excess capacity that it cannot absorb, so it has to find other ways to survive.

This road is a short drama.

However, now that the hype surrounding short dramas has died down, there is also a problem of overcapacity.

How can this be resolved?

Some quick-witted and resourceful individuals found a path that, while not wide, was at least a way to survive.

That's film and games.

Even the best movies and games cost a pittance compared to traditional TV dramas.

For the Weird Cats platform, film and games are a viable path.

It's important to know that a significant portion of the platform's short dramas and low-quality films are self-produced.

For them, the cost of making movies and games is naturally very low.

Moreover, the users of film and television games are not just game players!

It can perfectly utilize the resources that Weird Cat has accumulated over the years, and its users.

Upon hearing this, Yu Xiaoming's expression turned serious.

The reason why the platform "Weird Cat" is doing well now is because it targeted the niche market of short dramas and low-budget bad movies early on.

What he rarely tells people is that his reluctance to make short dramas or low-budget bad films is not just a matter of personal preference; he feels that this industry is doomed to die out sooner or later.

Short dramas are now becoming more sophisticated, and their costs are increasing.

If they continue with shoddy workmanship, they'll die sooner or later.

They really want to transform their business, but they can't find a way out.

"Brother Xuan, do you really have a way?"

"Of course, I can help you with that too."

"Then, what is the price?" Yu Xiaoming asked directly.

It's impossible for anyone to offer help for free when it comes to something this important.

If there really is a way for Freak Cat to successfully transform itself, then paying some price is worthwhile.

"For 'Dumpling Family,' I need to find a reliable animation company to collaborate with for the animated adaptation of 'Weird Cat.'"

"No problem," Yu Xiaoming agreed immediately, "but I need to make sure this path is feasible."

"Of course." Chen Xuan smiled slightly. "Then, can you make the decisions about what happens next?"

"It needs to be discussed, but generally speaking, there shouldn't be any problems."

Watching the two of them chatting away, Zhou Qian looked left and right, his gaze clear.

My neck is so itchy, I feel like it's growing a brain.

What happened?

Weren't we talking about Yu Xiaoming's bet with his family?

How did it turn into something like IP adaptation or industrial transformation again?

"Brother Xuan, I don't doubt your eye for the gaming industry, but our family's business has nothing to do with games, does it?"

"Is it possible that there is a middle ground between film and games—that is, interactive film and games, a new track, a new demand, which can at the same time absorb the excess capacity of the industry?"

As the young master of the Weird Cat platform, Yu Xiaoming easily understood Chen Xuan's meaning, but he still hesitated and asked, "But this is only a theoretically existing commercial space. How can we verify that it actually exists?"

"Of course, it's about the quality of the work." Chen Xuan paused for a moment before asking, "Just tell me, does Weird Cat have the capability to produce film and television projects related to spy themes?"

"If it's low-cost, then yes."

"Okay." Chen Xuan stood up and patted him on the shoulder. "Let's go home and discuss it. Producing a season of animation isn't cheap."

Yu Xiaoming nodded: "I'll buy the nearest train ticket home right now!"

After saying that, Chen Xuan sat back down at his workstation.

Get to work!

As for what this movie/game is about, I've already made up my mind.

The Invisible Guardian

A text-based AVG game adapted from the Orange Light game "The Red Path of Infiltration," whose story is based on the undercover experience of Yuan Shu, a legendary intelligence worker in the history of the War of Resistance against Japan.

When discussing movies and games, this is a game that cannot be ignored.

Prior to this, the term "interactive movie game" mostly referred to AAA games like "Heavy Rain," "Detroit: Become Human," and "Beyond: Two Souls."

When it comes to live-action interactive games, many people's first experience is Little Days' "428: Shibuya Under Siege".

It wasn't until "The Invisible Guardian" that it truly became a hit in the country.

With the huge success of games like "Girl-Fishing Game," "Prosperous World," "Looking North to the Country," and "I'm Surrounded by Beauties," this type of game gradually began to gain recognition.

How influential is it?

To put it another way, every year a number of film and game projects are launched with the original team behind "The Invisible Guardian".

Having this title naturally gives them a huge advantage in publicity and promotion.

Most importantly, the game's script is very solid.

You won't be able to beat the game without dying at least ten times.

The endings were all incredibly frustrating.

You can earn defense points and complete system tasks at the same time.