Han Xiao didn't rule out the suggestion of a cameo role in the film; after all, it wasn't like he was going to be the lead, and it wouldn't take up much of his time.
Moreover, with advanced interstellar technology, the production cycle for a film is not long nowadays, and there are many ways to watch it. You can watch it in the traditional way from a third-person perspective, or you can immerse yourself in the film from a first-person perspective, or even take the place of the characters and follow their actions. As technology changes, the forms of film expression are becoming increasingly rich.
The [Celebrity Effect] feat doesn't have a quantifiable description, but Fording possesses this ability, which is related to the Charisma attribute. Not only is it easier to gain favor, but even if you do something offensive, it's not easy to lower the other person's favor, which is quite fitting for the name of this feat.
While the specific effects of this skill might seem vague, Han Xiao knew it was actually quite useful, applicable in both business negotiations and everyday interactions—a skill extremely suitable for networking.
Even disregarding the reward aspect, this matter itself is beneficial. Currently, one's prestige is unparalleled, but the media attention will decline over time, and with such an amazing achievement preceding it, ordinary deeds will find it difficult to further enhance influence and popularity.
Utilizing the entertainment industry to further enhance his public profile is a viable path, given the unique advantage the entertainment industry offers in terms of attention. This would not damage his image and could even increase public understanding of him.
... Moreover, this seems quite suitable for missionary work.
Hehe, that old geezer Manison definitely wouldn't be as shameless as me... Is this some kind of indirect approach?
Under the tense gaze of Benny Travolta and his group, Han Xiao feigned hesitation for a moment before finally nodding. "Okay."
That's great!
Benny Travol was overjoyed. He had expected to be rejected most of the time, but Han Xiao was so friendly.
The tense atmosphere dissipated, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief, followed by excitement. They had actually managed to invite a big shot like Black Star; it was like a dream come true.
"When do you plan to launch the project?" Han Xiao asked.
"We need to work out the script first, because it's based on your true story. If possible, we'd appreciate it if you could provide some details. We might also need to organize a few interviews, you see..." Benny Travol requested in a low voice.
"That's easy, I can do it whenever I have time." Han Xiao smiled.
"Okay, once we've finished the script, we'll submit it to you for review. We'll only begin filming after you approve it."
"Hmm." Han Xiao nodded, then suddenly remembered something and asked, "Do you have any problems with funding?"
"Don't worry about that. I still have a certain influence in the entertainment industry. Plus, this film is about your story, so there will definitely be a lot of people vying to invest. Maybe even the Crimson Dynasty's Ministry of Culture will put in some money," Benny Travol said confidently.
"Alright, if you have any funding problems, just come to me, I'll sponsor you."
Han Xiao waved his hand and said, "If we're going to make a film, let's make a Sino-US co-production... no, a red-black co-production."
Benny Travolta was deeply moved upon hearing this.
Look at him, no wonder he's a great warlord, he's so generous.
He secretly resolved to make this film a success, ensuring not only its artistic merit but also its box office success.
Having directed for many years, Benny Travolta has produced both masterpieces and failures. He takes investors' money under the guise of "pursuing art," but ultimately fails to recoup his costs, leaving many people disappointed.
It doesn't matter if the films made by ordinary investors aren't good; at most, they'll lose some reputation and money. But if the films sponsored by the Black Star Army aren't good... they could lose their lives. He dares not be careless.
With the massive population base in the interstellar era, the entertainment industry's money-making efficiency is beyond imagination. Occasionally, a film becomes a critical and commercial success across the entire universe, and the revenue from just one film can equal the total assets of several small conglomerates. This is extremely terrifying, and Han Xiao has no reason not to make a fortune.
Suddenly, an idea struck him, and he said, "Oh, right, I also need to get someone into the film crew."
"You said."
Han Xiao pulled up Fording's portrait and laughed, "This is the man. He's my bodyguard, Calamity Grade superhuman, and used to be a regional celebrity. You can arrange for him to play a role."
"This person..." Benny Travol's eyes widened.
He didn't mind Black Star sending people over; he'd seen this kind of thing many times before. He just hadn't expected that this time the person sent over was a treasure.
That figure! That charisma! He's a born superstar!
Han Xiao glanced at the stunned expressions on everyone's faces and chuckled inwardly.
He was well aware of Fording's charismatic aura, and having Fording star in a movie would attract a huge amount of attention, making the publicity work twice as effective.
Moreover, Han Xiao had not forgotten Fording's deeds in his previous life [The Legend of the Singer], who quelled the war with his psychic singing.
So, in order to maintain love and peace in the universe, he decided to let Fording make a comeback as an idol!
It wasn't a whim, but rather an opportunity to make Fording Black Star Army's ambassador, gaining greater attention and perhaps attracting more talent. At the same time, it would boost the Germinal Financial Group's stock price—after years of operation, the Germinal Financial Group had successfully gone public with the Legion's support and now possessed enormous assets.
Various thoughts flashed through Han Xiao, but he didn't reveal them. He maintained his smile and chatted happily with the group about cooperation. In the end, everyone decided to stay at the Black Star Palace for a while to gather information. Benny Travol and the others then took their leave, each with a cheerful expression.
After seeing the group off, Han Xiao instructed Sylvia to handle the follow-up arrangements, and then went to chat with Ames for a long time so as not to neglect his old friend.
Ames understood Han Xiao, knowing he had many things to deal with during this time, so she didn't urge him. Anyway, Han Xiao and Hila were back, and she was very comfortable having company here. She was so happy that she almost forgot about home.
Besides, there's nothing to do all day long in Dragon Calm, so why would I go back?
What, you mean Jenny?
Who is that? I've never heard of him, and I don't know him.
Han Xiao returned to his room and took a shower as usual, his body steaming with heat. He didn't dry himself off, but simply wrapped himself in a bathrobe, humming a little tune as he lay down on the bed, water droplets sliding down his hair and wetting his pillow.
With his Beyond Grade A flawless body, Han Xiao naturally didn't need to take a bath. However, he mainly enjoyed the feeling and adjusted his body temperature to restore a normal person's temperature perception so that he could take a hot bath. Otherwise, even lava would be cold to him.
Several mechanical pets climbed up and surrounded Han Xiao, nudging him with their bodies. They were very affectionate, including cats, dogs, and even segments of mechanical snakes. They were all mechanical life forms with independent thinking. Their metal bodies had no sharp edges and were very smooth and rounded. They didn't need to eat or excrete, making them easy to keep.
Ever since Hila gave him his birthday present, Han Xiao suddenly had the idea of getting a pet, which added a touch of life to his usually quiet bedroom.
After casually playing with a few affectionate pets for a while, Han Xiao leaned back on the bed with one hand behind his head, and casually opened the player forum to browse the posts.
The topic of "Black Star's Battle of Deification" hasn't died down; on the contrary, it's getting more and more heated, Shattered World section is still being flooded with posts.
Beyond just discussions, many players have left their original factions to join the Black Star Army, bringing a new wave of growth to the legion's player base.
The one-sided faction war has been going on for some time. Because the opposing faction that was named surrendered, the legion's opponents were powerless to fight back. The dirty tricks of those foreign clubs not only failed to work, but also backfired, causing their factions to lose a lot of ordinary players. In turn, it increased the cohesion of the legion's players and eliminated the barriers between new and old players from different countries to a certain extent.
Nowadays, the atmosphere within the Black Star Army is much better. While players from different countries aren't exactly harmonious, they've come to accept each other.
Another issue that sparked discussion on the forum was that Han Xiao put the [Hila Rescue Battle] Dungeon Crystal on the faction shop after obtaining it.
In the past few days, a large number of players have been buying Dungeon Crystal, risking their lives to admire the legion commander's prowess.
Through tireless efforts, a renowned dungeon strategy team has improved the survival record to 29 seconds, earning the admiration of countless players.
[Hila Rescue Battle] is now officially on par with [Battle of Lighthouse Star], known as the Legion's two major CG-style dungeons. To put it simply... well, just watch it.
Han Xiao happily browsed the forum for a while, when suddenly an idea struck him and he noticed a new message from Phillip.
"Master, a fleet that has defected from the Beast Ancestor's forces has visited the frontline outposts of the Free Competition Zone. Among them are seven Calamity Grade officers under the Beast Ancestor, led by ' Claw Princess ' Jotina, one of the four great generals under Gorutan. She specifically requested to see you."
"See me?"
Han Xiao raised an eyebrow, closed the player forum, quickly looked through Jotina's information, and pondered silently.
He didn't know much about Gorutan's men; most of them were just tools. Only a few left an impression on him in his previous life, and Jotina was one of them, but not because of any achievements she had made.
In her past life, Jotina secretly colluded with other forces and issued a mission to the players, intending to destroy all the offspring breeding facilities at the Beast Ancestor's headquarters while Gorutan was away, thus freeing all the mothers imprisoned and used as breeding machines. Although the operation failed, it still caused huge losses to the Beast Ancestor. She originally wanted to use Psionic Energy bomb to perish together with Gorutan, but she failed, and in the end, she was torn apart alive by Gorutan in public.
With this in mind, Han Xiao roughly guessed the purpose of this muscular woman's visit.
"Okay, then let's meet her."
The damage caused by the Hila Rescue Battle has been repaired at the Black Star outpost in the Emerald Star Cluster, and the fleet is patrolling as scheduled.
At this moment, Jotina and her group's spaceship was welcomed into the airport dock. Due to the Beast Ancestor faction insignia on their outer armor, they attracted the attention of all legion members on the way.
The spaceship docked smoothly, and the hatch opened with a whoosh. Jotina and her companions stepped off the ship, ignoring the strange looks from the legion members around them, and followed the mechanical receptionist who came to greet them to the reception room.
"We've finally arrived. I wonder if Black Star will take us in, considering we were enemies not long ago."
Black Star is not a narrow-minded person.
"I'm afraid he won't even look at us..."
Jotina didn't participate in the discussion; with a tense expression, she followed the receptionist into the empty meeting room.
Buzz--
At this moment, Han Xiao's remote projection appeared in the room. With his hands behind his back, he scanned everyone, his eyes filled with scrutiny and indifference, and slowly spoke:
"So you're the ones who want to see me?"
"Indeed, we are all cadres of the Beast Ancestor, and we have long harbored resentment towards him, but we were powerless to resist. Now that you have defeated him, we have come to join you, hoping to serve the Black Star Army."
Jotina didn't stand on ceremony, staring straight at Han Xiao, clearly a straightforward girl.
Although Han Xiao had some guesses, an idiom still couldn't help but pop into his mind at this moment...
Is this recognizing a thief as one's father?
Pshaw, I'm not a thief, I'm clearly abandoning darkness for light.
Han Xiao didn't intend to refuse. After all, seven Calamity Grade cadres were a considerable force, and Jotina was a rare Beyond Grade A Seed with extraordinary potential, capable of going toe-to-toe with his subordinates Hadavy and Rotel.
The high-quality leeks voluntarily pulled up their roots and planted themselves in his field, which Han Xiao was naturally happy to see, but he couldn't agree too easily and still had to ask the routine questions.
Why do you harbor resentment towards Gorutan?
Upon hearing this, Jotina took a deep breath, her face filled with grief and indignation. "In order to cultivate superior offspring, Gorutan purchased countless female creatures of various races from the black market. They didn't even have the freedom to die; they could only serve as wombs. My mother was one of them. I watched with my own eyes as she gave birth to one offspring after another without interruption over the years, finally dying from exhaustion. Superior offspring received intensive training, while inferior offspring were used as slaves. Although they were all related by blood, most of them were indifferent to each other. It was like a cold, lifeless tomb. Everyone could only please Gorutan and the _book_. I haven't stopped hating it for a single day."
Jotina closed her eyes, seemingly lost in those painful memories, before opening them again after a while and saying in a low voice:
"My companions and I share the same experience. We hate everything Gorutan created, yet we are manipulated by him, forced to do evil, and live in torment every day... We are not afraid of death, but only by enduring this suffering and preserving our lives can we have a chance to change everything... Until you defeat him, we will finally be free."
As she spoke, Jotina prostrated herself on the ground, and her companions followed suit, a dark mass of people lying down and bowing deeply to Han Xiao.
We hope you can take us in!
Jotina struck the ground with her forehead, letting out a deep, hoarse roar, her emotions running high.
"Please take us in!!" the crowd shouted in unison, their voices deafening and echoing throughout the room.
Seeing this, Han Xiao pondered for a moment, then nodded and said, "In that case, I accept you as members of the Black Star Army."
Upon hearing this, everyone breathed a sigh of relief and stood up one after another.
Jotina got up, a smile returning to her face. Her expression changed from heavy to relaxed, as if the rain had washed away the dust, making her look stunning. Just like her wild nature, her emotions were also readily apparent.
Han Xiao nodded, his tone becoming amiable, and said with a smile, "Then we're all family now. Come to the Black Star Palace. I want to meet you all in person and, while I'm at it, assign you positions. Also, if you'd like to see the specimens of Gorutan, you can..."
At this moment, Jotina interrupted Han Xiao, her smile fading as she said seriously, "Lord Black Star, I have another gift and a request."
"Tell me about it." Han Xiao raised an eyebrow.
Jotina nodded. "The Beast Ancestor's power is currently fragmented, making it a good opportunity to divide his assets. I am willing to help you obtain the Beast Ancestor's legacy; this is my gift."
"And what about the request?"
"I hope you can destroy the Beast Ancestor's stronghold, completely destroy all the offspring breeding facilities, liberate all the mothers, and adopt all the young Beast Ancestor offspring. This is both my request and my gift. Although I hate Gorutan, these young offspring are innocent. Their minds are not yet formed and they are still malleable. If they are properly nurtured, they can become the fresh blood of the Legion."
After speaking decisively, Jotina looked up at Han Xiao, as if trying to see the answer she longed for in his eyes.
Han Xiao's heart skipped a beat. He opened the panel and glanced at it. Sure enough, a task had been triggered, but not just one, but two.
The first task is to [Liberate the Beast Ancestor's Forces]. The content is the same as what Jotina said. He needs to liberate the Beast Ancestor's base camp. The reward is Jotina's favorability and her character card.
The second task, however, took him by surprise.
[The End of Darkness]
[Mission Brief: Human trafficking is the root of countless tragedies. Jotina abhors it, and destroying this phenomenon has always been her lifelong wish.]
[Mission Objective: End the human trade phenomenon in the Galaxy]
[Rewards: 10000e EXP, 15 random rewards, 3 Universe Legend Points, 5 Blank Character Card]
[Special Reward: [Slave Liberator] Milestone]
[[Slave Liberator]: Your relationship with all order factions is permanently [Revered]]
"One trillion experience points..." Han Xiao was stunned.
This was the most outrageous reward he had ever seen, but its difficulty was equally off the charts.
Eliminate human trade throughout the entire universe?
Considering the population size of the entire Galaxy, this is an impossible task. As the saying goes, without buying and selling, there is no killing; without demand, there is no market. Even the Three Universal Civilizations cannot do it, so who can?
No wonder Jotina only asked him to liberate the Beast Ancestor's power; she probably knew in her heart that this wish was impossible to fulfill.
Han Xiao naturally wouldn't bring it up, so he shook his head, kept the matter to himself, and said slowly:
"I have granted your request to Liberate the Beast Ancestor's Forces."
"Then I am willing to serve you until the end of time."
Jotina lowered her head, her eyes revealing admiration.
Ever since Han Xiao defeated Gorutan, she has regarded Black Star as her idol.
Before meeting Black Star today, she was also apprehensive, fearing that her idol's true colors would disappoint her.
She was also afraid that Black Star would mistake her for a cowardly opportunist and see her actions as betraying her former master and joining the victor, which would hurt her deeply.
At that moment, she felt that meeting him in person was far more impressive than hearing about him. Black Star truly lived up to his reputation as the one who eliminated Gorutan, and her admiration for him was well-deserved.
A surge of emotion welled up inside her, like an electric current coursing through her body. She was a straightforward person, easily agitated, and at that moment, she felt her heart flutter.