Entertainment: You're asked to make a graduation project, but you're asked to film Ultrama

Chapter 15 A Tribute to Space Explorers

Friday, 8 PM.

Bilibili's servers once again experienced a small peak of stress testing.

Following the "anti-violence" propaganda war of the past few days, coupled with the double announcements of "weekly updates" and "paying tribute to spaceflight," the number of online pre-orders for this episode of "Ultraman Tiga" has directly exceeded 100,000.

At that moment, the number of people watching simultaneously reached ten thousand.

Now, a considerable number of viewers are already glued to their screens, with takeout or soda in hand, waiting for the red, purple, and silver giant to appear.

"Brother Nan, the data is incredible."

Chen Bo stared at the numbers flashing on the backstage screen.

"The chat pool was already full just five minutes into the broadcast."

"normal."

Gu Nan sat on a folding chair to the side, playing with the unpainted gray model of the magic wand in his hand, his expression calm.

"Because tonight, we're not selling special effects, we're selling sentiment. It's the yearning for the starry sky that's ingrained in the bones of every student at Tokyo University."

The screen went black, and the familiar opening theme song began to play.

Ultraman Tiga Episode 4: Goodbye, Earth.

……

[Video begins]

There was no opening scene with monsters destroying the city.

The scene depicts the vast and boundless universe.

A spaceship brimming with hardcore industrial aesthetics is traversing deep space. It's not the somewhat flimsy "Jeep 3" from the original, but rather the "Tiangong Exploration Spacecraft," redesigned by Gu Nan.

The camera cuts into the interior.

The audience was instantly impressed.

The cockpit, which cost Gu Nan over 100,000 yuan and was precisely CNC machined, exuded a breathtaking quality under the cool-toned lighting.

The cold metal dials, the flashing breathing lights, and the starry sky reflected on the astronaut's helmet visor.

This isn't tokusatsu; this is clearly a hard science fiction blockbuster!

"This is Tiangong Exploration, calling ground control."

The actor playing Commander Jiang Qi spoke in a steady voice, yet with a tremor, "We encountered an unidentified luminous object... it's devouring our energy... Ah!!"

The screen was shaking violently.

The alarm blared loudly.

That was a genuine sense of despair.

There was no background music, only the sound of rapid breathing and the "creaking" sound of metal being squeezed and deformed.

This is the effect Gu Nan wanted.

He was using real hydraulic shears to squeeze scrap aluminum on site, and the sound he recorded was enough to make your teeth ache.

Immediately afterwards, the signal was interrupted.

……

As the plot progresses.

Two months later.

A monster covered in heavy armor—Ligadron—appeared at the energy center.

It didn't roar, only made the hum of mechanical operation.

The Victory Team is on the move.

But during the battle, the New City team members discovered a horrifying truth:

Despite being a cosmic monster, analysis of its body materials revealed that the material appears to be a special aerospace-grade material from Earth.

Subsequent investigation revealed that the information about the monster, as well as the electromagnetic waves it unintentionally emitted, matched those of a spacecraft that had been on a mission in space two months prior.

After analysis, Horii came to a harsh conclusion:

"The monster has no life. It is that spaceship, assimilated by an unknown cosmic life form. And the consciousness of those three astronauts... is trapped inside the monster, becoming its power source."

The moment this setting was revealed, the comments section went silent.

People who were just commenting "The monster is so cool" now felt a chill.

This is not just a simple monster.

These are our compatriots. Pioneers who sacrificed themselves for humanity's exploration of the universe, yet now they have become demons destroying the Earth.

……

Monsters are attacking the energy center.

Daigo transforms.

Ultraman Tiga makes his appearance.

But this time, Tiga found himself in a tough battle.

Ligadron's armor is so thick, it's practically a mobile fortress.

When Tiga's punches and kicks landed on it, they only produced a burst of sparks and did not cause any real damage.

Instead, they were forced to retreat by the monster's two huge scythe-like claws.

The red light is flashing.

Ultraman Tiga knelt on the ground, his chest heaving violently.

Just as the monster was about to deliver the final blow to Tiga, an unexpected event occurred.

The monster suddenly stopped.

The scene then cuts back to the monster's "body"—the interior of the cockpit that Gu Nan had spent a fortune to create.

The consciousnesses of the three astronauts are floating in a chaotic stream of data.

A photograph appeared in front of Dr. Jiang Qi.

Those were his family members.

"dad……"

Over the energy center's loudspeaker came the cry of Dr. Jiang Qi's son. It was the voice synthesized by computer by the Ye Rui team members, the last key to awakening their humanity.

"That's... Earth..."

"That's...our home..."

A voice-over rang out, carrying an endless sense of sorrow.

The next scene became the tearjerker of the entire series.

Inside the monster's body, Dr. Jiang Qi looked at the photo, and a tear rolled down his previously blank face.

"We are explorers."

"But we...are also fathers."

"We cannot let this body destroy our home!"

A roar exploded in the mental space.

The monster roared in agony.

Its claws, which were originally about to tear Tiga apart, suddenly and uncontrollably hugged its own head.

The energy within its body began to run rampant.

This is the consciousness of the astronauts, fighting a desperate battle against the instincts of the monster!

"Now! Ultraman Tiga!"

Lina, piloting the Flying Swallow, cried out in a tearful voice, "Take them...home!"

Xincheng also roared at the three souls inside Ligadron's body:

"Please, just once more! Live on as a human being!!!"

Tiga nodded.

He opened his arms and gathered the Zepelion rays.

But this time, the light wasn't meant for destruction.

It is for liberation.

"boom--!"

A white beam of light struck the monster.

There was no earth-shattering explosion.

Three golden rays of light flew out from the monster's shattered shell.

That's not a soul.

That is light.

That is a hymn to human courage.

The three beams of light circled in the air for a moment, as if taking one last look at the beloved blue planet and at their loved ones on the ground.

Then, they transformed into shooting stars and flew into the depths of the universe.

"Jeep 3... no, Tiangong Exploration, mission complete."

"We're home."

……

At the end of the video.

The screen didn't go black as usual.

Gu Nan added a special "Easter egg" here.

Accompanied by the plaintive cello music of "Love Theme," a series of black and white photographs appeared on the screen.

Those were the pioneers in the history of human spaceflight in the real world.

There are the seven heroes of the Challenger.

It had Gagarin's confident smile.

There was also the moment when Chinese astronauts waved the national flag in space.

The subtitles slowly appeared:

"A tribute to all those who gaze at the stars."

"Exploring the unknown inevitably involves sacrifice."

"But human courage is always more vast than the universe."

"This film is dedicated to China's aerospace industry."

……

The barrage of comments exploded instantly.

At this moment, Bilibili's bullet screen etiquette was brought to its fullest potential.

There were no memes or criticisms.

The dense white bullet comments, like a wall, obscured the screen.

[Salute to the Space Heroes!]

[Salute to the Space Heroes!]

I'm so moved!

Our journey is to the stars and the sea!

Monsters aren't scary; what's scary is forgetting those who bear the burden for us.

This is what tokusatsu (special effects) should be like! This is the scale!

The comments section was filled with cries of grief.

User [Rabbit from the Flower Country]:

"I'm a family member of someone working in the aerospace industry. When I saw the line 'We are fathers too,' I really couldn't hold back my tears. The director understands so well. Heroes aren't just cold, lifeless symbols; they also have families and vulnerabilities. But it's precisely because they have vulnerabilities that their sacrifices are all the more noble."

User [Hardcore Sci-Fi Fan]:

"The texture of that cockpit was absolutely amazing! And that final shot of the light soaring into space—even though it was special effects, it completely captured the sense of sacredness. This episode is phenomenal!"

……

The old machinery factory in the western suburbs of Jinghai.

"Brother Nan, look at the data."

Chen Bo sniffed, his eyes red-rimmed. "The viewership... a million views per hour. And the number of reposts is more than the first three episodes combined."

"and……"

Chen Bo pointed to a private message in the background, his hand trembling slightly, "This is... the official account of 'China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation'? They sent us a private message!"

"What?"

Even Gu Nan couldn't remain calm now, and he abruptly stood up. "Official account?"

"Yes! They said they appreciated our tribute and that the film was very heartwarming. They even asked if we were interested in a collaboration with one of their aerospace science popularization models..."

Holy crap!

Wang Kai was so shocked he dropped the instant noodles in his hand. "Official endorsement? That's incredibly impressive!"

Gu Nan took a deep breath, trying to suppress the excitement in his heart.

He knew he had it in the bag.

With this praise from the aerospace official, the previous rumors of "promoting violence" will be completely disproven.

Who dares to say that paying tribute to space heroes is promoting violence?

That's courting death.

"Replying to them is not only something I'm interested in, but a real honor!"

Gu Nan's eyes shone brightly. "A co-branded Sparkler, or a co-branded Flying Swallow—even if it doesn't make money, we'll do it! It's a talisman, and it's an honor!"

"Great!" Chen Bo excitedly typed on the keyboard.

Just then, Su Zhe, who hadn't said a word, walked over.

He looked at the touching comments on the screen and suddenly smiled.

"Brother Nan, I finally understand what you told me that day."

Su Zhe touched his chest, where the excitement from acting still lingered. "Playing Daigo is so much more enjoyable than acting in an idol drama."

"The moment I saw Dr. Jiang Qi fly away, I felt... as if I had truly become light."

Gu Nan patted him on the shoulder.

"Keep this feeling."

"Because the road ahead will be even more difficult."

Gu Nan turned around and looked at the next plan on the whiteboard.

Episode 5: The Day the Monsters Appear.

That's the story of the zombie monster Silizan, and it's another extreme challenge to the craftsmanship of tokusatsu suit making—how to recreate that rotten, smelly, yet hilarious giant creature?

But before that.

Gu Nan knew it was time to reap the first wave of "fruits".

With this episode's deification, the audience's emotions have reached their peak.

"Chen Bo, open the backend of Member Purchase."

Gu Nan's voice carried a hint of businessman's cunning, "Upload the crowdfunding pre-sale link for the 'Magic Light Stick' that we've prepared."

"Remember, only 50,000 units available."

Each one has a unique number.

"We want to let everyone know that this is a special edition to commemorate the Tiangong Exploration spacecraft, and part of the proceeds will be donated to the Aerospace Science Popularization Foundation."

"yes!"