NOVEL NEXT CHAPTER 40: The Plan Unfolds
After sending the recruits back to the dorms with their heavy thoughts, Atlas remained in the portal room for a few moments, letting the silence settle around him. He knew the gravity of what he had asked of them, the weight of the thoughts he had left them with. But there was more to be done, and time was not on his side.
He had a meeting lined up with the movie crew—or rather, the soon-to-be movie crew—Alyx, Emily, and Lily. They met in the conference room, a stark contrast to the dimly lit portal room. The fluorescent lights buzzed quietly above them as Atlas took his seat at the head of the table.
“You guys heard my pitch, right?” Atlas began, looking at each of them in turn. “I mainly called you in to see if you had any good contacts. The micro drama script is pretty much written, but I need it shot fast and produced wide. It doesn’t have to make any money; it just has to be seen by everyone in the world.”
Alyx, always resourceful, leaned forward. “My buddy Hong Sha from China is here at an expo about Asian filmmaking, and he’s got his crew with him. If he had a decent budget, it could be done pretty quickly.”
Lily nodded in agreement. “Yeah, I have some members of my team out here too who could be useful.”
Atlas’s eyes lit up. “I’m glad to hear that. But are you sure you want to be involved in this, Lily? I thought you didn’t want your name associated with this project.”
Lily shrugged. “Well, when it was called *Punch Fighters in this Cosmos*, it didn’t seem that great. But hearing you talk to your team makes it sound... neat. I’m in.”
Atlas smiled, relieved. “All right, then. Let’s set it up.”
***
Later that night, Atlas met up with Hong Sha at a nearby sushi bar, the ambiance a mix of modern and traditional Japanese elements. The faint hum of conversation surrounded them as they settled into their booth, the smell of fresh sushi filling the air.
“Sorry I’m late, boss,” said Hong Sha. “Let me drink three glasses as an apology.”
Atlas watched him do three quick shots of that nasty Chinese baijiu.
*Seriously, I’m glad I don’t have to drink that stuff.* Atlas stuck to the sake.
Hong Sha was a man in his mid-forties, with sharp eyes that missed nothing and a manic demeanor that matched his fast-paced lifestyle. He sipped more of his baijiu as Atlas laid out the details.
“The script is easy,” Atlas began, handing over a small stack of papers. “It’s basically about a time traveler who comes back from a post-apocalyptic wasteland.” He boiled down the essentials and handed Hong Sha the script.
Hong Sha flipped through the pages, nodding thoughtfully. “Budget?”
Atlas hesitated for a moment before responding. “Well, it’s $110,000. $100,000 from the challenge, which no one has claimed, plus a new $10,000 I was given as ‘apology money.’”
Hong Sha raised an eyebrow. “Apology money?”
“Let’s just say it was something I was owed,” Atlas replied, a hint of a smirk playing on his lips.
Hong Sha chuckled. “Fair enough. But what about the timeline? How soon do you need this done?”
Atlas leaned in, his voice serious. “Can you get this done in a year’s time, Hong?”
Hong Sha, used to the fast-paced production environment in China, smiled confidently. “That won’t be a problem. We shoot about five times faster than Hollywood. I can get a season out of this show in a month. So yeah, unless we run out of cash, you should be golden.”
“A month?” Atlas’s eyes widened in surprise. “Wow, that would be great. I wasn’t expecting it that fast, but if you can get it out in a month, that would be fantastic. Maybe we can keep pumping out seasons. I just want everyone to see it as soon as possible.”
Hong Sha considered this, his mind already running through the logistics. “You’ve got the actors, the recruits for the training fights, and we’ll have a whole bunch of fights to film. Yeah, this should be easy. The only worry is the special effects. Most of the time micro dramas have cheap-ass scenery and worst CGI.”
“Oh, let me show you the portal room.” Atlas paid the bill, and they walked back to the gym.
“Wow. This is insanely great!”
Atlas nodded, but his mind was elsewhere. “Remember, Hong, it’s not about the money. It’s about the exposure—worldwide.”
*This is it. Months of preparation of this SFB fight team, and enduring being a celebrity. I can get the news about the portals and how to survive out! If everyone in the world was prepared for the portal, how many people wouldn’t die on day one?*
Hong Sha looked up from the script that Atlas had given him, his expression turning serious. “This script looks great! We’ll make sure this gets the exposure it needs.”
Hong Sha loved the idea of worldwide exposure. It wasn’t too hard because it was going to be distributed through the internet, not movie theaters. Add some dubbing and captioning, and it’s off to the races. It could be anywhere in the world instantly. *Hmm, if I make sure there are some noble, Chinese fighters, we might even get it through China’s firewalls and censors.*
The two men continued to discuss the finer details of the production, the sights of the portal room fading into the background as their conversation became more focused and intense.
After the meeting, Atlas felt a sense of satisfaction. Things were moving forward, faster than he had anticipated. The TV show was going to be a crucial part of preparing the world for what was coming. If he could get it out there in time, it could make a real difference. He had originally wanted a movie, but a micro drama TV show that would run with multiple seasons could tell the story so much better.
But there was no time to rest.
The second part of the draft was looming, and the fans were buzzing with excitement. Atlas wasn’t particularly interested in the draft himself, but he knew it was a big deal for the others. He had to go, of course, if only to keep an eye on the proceedings.
As he arrived at the Draft, the energy in the room was palpable. The crowd was loud, cheering for their favorite trainees, eagerly awaiting the next big reveal. Atlas took his seat, scanning the list of draft potential trainees with mild interest.
But then, something caught his eye. A name on the list. One that he hadn’t expected to see.
His heart skipped a beat.
There was one person he just had to draft.
---
Meanwhile, across the arena, a group of fans gathered in excited discussion, speculating about the upcoming draft picks.
“Who do you think will go number one?” a tall guy with a SFB Sword and Iron cap asked, his voice barely audible over the crowd's roar.
“I don’t know, man,” another fan replied, leaning in closer. “There are some strong contenders, but it’s anyone’s guess at this point.”
“Yeah, but you know they’ve been hyping up that kid from the West Coast. What’s his name again? Alexander?”
“Oh yeah, Alexander is a beast! But don’t count Chihiro, she’s wild. Remember last year? Nobody saw that coming.”
“I’m telling you, it’s going to be a surprise. The top pick always is.”
The conversation continued, blending into the surrounding buzz of the crowd. The anticipation in the air was electric, every fan eager to see who would be the next rising star. And among them, Atlas was already plotting his next move.
In the midst of the fan chatter, Alyx joined Atlas, who was still lost in thought, his mind racing with ideas.
“Atlas,” Alyx began, snapping him out of his reverie, “we need to talk about the social media campaign.”
Atlas nodded, his attention now focused. “What do you need?”
“We need to make sure this goes wide—spread it far and wide. Can we buy ads?”
“Yeah, spend at least twenty thousand.”
Alyx’s eyes widened in surprise. “Twenty thousand?”
Atlas shrugged. “The board should have no problem with that. As we make more, spend more. I need zero profit on this. This is about getting as many eyes on it as possible.”
Alyx grinned. “Consider it done.”
The two continued their discussion, laying out plans to ensure that the world would be ready for what was coming. Every step, every decision, was another piece of the puzzle falling into place. And with the draft looming, Atlas knew that timing was everything.
*If we play this right, the world won’t know what hit them—but they’ll be ready.*
Atlas’s mind was racing, ideas swirling as he plotted the next steps. The draft, the micro drama, the social media campaign—it was all coming together. Now, it was just a matter of execution. And if there was one thing Atlas knew how to do, it was execute.
*I’m going to execute this plan like I’ve executed so many skellies in the wasteland,* thought Atlas with a mischievous smile.