Chapter 1 Cui Geng Finally Understands Boss Pei's Intentions

Cui Geng suddenly understood Boss Pei's intention.

"Like 'Struggle,' it actually reflects the deep-seated contradictions of Western society and analyzes this social phenomenon. It tore apart the veil of tenderness and beauty in Western works, which is why it has caused such a profound reaction!"

For a long time, the domestic cultural industry has been relatively weak.

Whether it is games, movies, novels, or even ideologies in certain fields, they are all in a state of complete suppression by the Western world.

There are many reasons for this, the main one being historical issues. Although many people are unwilling to admit it, this phenomenon does exist and is very serious.

The cultural output of the Western world has always existed and has had a very complex impact.

Of course, it is undeniable that there are some positive and constructive elements in Western culture, and some movies do have an inspiring effect.

But many people mistakenly believe that everything in Western culture is good and perfect, even extending their affection to everything Western because of the beautification in these cultural works. This is a typical case of being brainwashed by the beautification of artistic works.

For example, many people believe that in the US, everyone lives in a large villa with a swimming pool, houses are cheap, medical care is free, and even dishwashers can live a life that Chinese people dream of. This is obviously a misreading.

As a developed country, the overall living standard of the people in the US is definitely better, but it is also a US for the rich. The lives of the lower and lower-middle classes are still very difficult.

However, the Chinese people have long been exposed to a large number of US cultural exports. Under the packaging and beautification of these cultural works, many people have the illusion that "the Western world is a paradise on earth."

One of the important reasons for the success of "Struggle" is that it shattered this illusion, allowing more Chinese people to see the Western world from a more objective perspective, essentially deconstructing the "ideal country" constructed in Western cultural works.

Cui Geng instantly realized, could Boss Pei's request for him to write a superhero theme also be for this purpose?

Not to write a stereotypical superhero story that conforms to Western mainstream values, but to deconstruct Western mainstream values like "Struggle," and write a story that reflects deep-seated problems and shatters the illusions of some Chinese people?

Once he accepted this premise, Cui Geng realized that many things made sense!

Why did Boss Pei say that it wouldn't matter even if these superheroes were written to death, or even worse than death?

It's because this isn't a traditional superhero story in the first place. The superheroes in the story don't represent fairness, justice, and beauty, but something else, so their deaths wouldn't make the audience feel extremely disgusted.

Cui Geng subconsciously thought of a question: if superheroes existed, would they necessarily act the way they do in movies?

Of course, human nature has good and evil. When humans possess the power of superheroes, the kind people become superheroes, and the evil people become supervillains.

But would kind superheroes necessarily persist in the way most stories depict?

If even bolder settings were given, such as if the power of superheroes wasn't innate or due to mutation, but obtained through some other means, what would so-called superhero stories become?

Just like the West has been tirelessly exporting their "freedom" and "democracy," is this seemingly perfect system necessarily perfect?

There seemed to be a similar underlying principle.

Cui Geng suddenly found the inspiration he wanted. He almost couldn't wait to get to his work area, open a new document, and write down the story background that suddenly appeared in his mind!

...

The story, like other superhero themes, takes place in the US.

But this superhero story is different from other superhero stories because in this story, the superheroes' powers are not innate, nor are they based on mutation or money.

About two hundred years ago, the first native superhero appeared in the US.

His superpowers came from the support and trust of the people, and once people's support and trust in him weakened, his superpowers would also be reduced or even cease to exist.

But this superhero had many virtues such as fairness, integrity, and courage. In successive major historical events, this superhero played a key role, saving countless lives and deeply loved by the American people.

As a result, his power became even stronger, not only becoming a symbol of the American spirit but also shouldering the responsibility of maintaining world peace. The American people affectionately called him "Captain World" because Americans believed that his existence would maintain world peace and prevent humanity from war.

But even the most powerful superheroes will always age and die.

Seventy years ago, the hundred-year-old Captain World was old and dying. He still had people's trust and support, and he still had powerful superpowers, but his body was no longer sufficient to support him in using these superpowers.

American politicians, media, wealthy people, and all sorts of characters took turns visiting Captain World's hospital room, hoping that Captain World could choose someone from among the many carefully selected successors to inherit Captain World's superpowers and identity.

And Captain World saw through their little thoughts at a glance: obviously, different factions were coveting this superpower enough to influence the world situation, and they all wanted to use their cultivated pawns to inherit Captain World's ability and status. If this superpower fell into the hands of bad people, then everything would be unimaginable.

Therefore, Captain World did not give his superpowers to any of the "successors" carefully selected by politicians, wealthy people, or other forces, but instead spread his superpowers to the entire United States, giving every American the possibility of becoming a superhero.

And the strength of this power depends on the support and trust of the American people.

Captain World firmly believed that only those with virtues such as integrity, fairness, and kindness could gain the support, trust, and love of most Americans.

Although this move could not guarantee that all of his superpowers would be concentrated on one person and exert the greatest effect, it could at least guarantee that most of the superpowers would be controlled by kind and upright people, and at the same time, they would not completely fall into the hands of a bad person.

Many people, including politicians, wealthy businessmen, and the media, tried to dissuade Captain World, but Captain World remained unmoved. Obviously, these people's sweet talk was just to take Captain World's power for themselves, and they were not trustworthy.

Captain World believed that all Americans would make the right choice.

After Captain World's death, the American people deeply mourned him, building huge statues and monuments for him to commemorate this first and most respected superhero.

This is the story background, and the story truly begins nearly seventy years after Captain World's death.

The protagonist of the story is Phil Simmons, a carefree, money-spending second-generation rich guy.

Phil Simmons's father, Ryan Simmons, is a wealthy man ranked more than 150th in the United States, with a personal wealth of $4.2 billion. He started his career in real estate and owns chain hotels and office buildings in many cities around the world.

Phil Simmons, like other rich second-generation born with a silver spoon in his mouth, is perfect in appearance. He is 31 years old this year, unmarried, 1.92 meters tall, with a standard white face, handsome and dashing, and his body is well-maintained like a model.

He is a Harvard graduate with a Juris Doctor and an MBA degree. His current position is CEO of Simmons Media Company and was named by *Fortune* magazine as one of the "40 Most Influential Business People Under 40."

Although his Harvard degree was obtained through the family donating a large sum of money, this is not a shameful thing in the top rich families in the United States, both common and common.

Phil Simmons has no special abilities other than driving a sports car with one hand. His company is managed by many professional staff, and even so, it is still on the verge of bankruptcy several times.

But it doesn't matter, after all, Phil Simmons' own media company is only a drop in the bucket compared to the real estate group controlled by the entire Simmons family. Even if the company he runs goes bankrupt ten times, it will not affect the foundation of the entire Simmons Group.

There are many kinds of rich second-generation, and Phil Simmons is obviously the kind who doesn't work very hard.

He manages his company and expands his contacts, but most of the time, he still lives a luxurious life of feasting, drinking, and yacht parties.

For him, he doesn't need to worry about anything at all, anyway, his family business is enough for him to squander freely for the rest of his life.

Until one day, his life changed because of superheroes.

So, Phil Simmons made up his mind that he would become a superhero by any means necessary, and he would become the most powerful superhero. All superheroes standing in his way must be completely eliminated by all means.

...

Cui Geng quickly wrote an opening.

The entire story background, including the protagonist's character design, Cui Geng quickly finalized it. Everything was very natural.

But why Phil Simmons was determined to become a superhero, and how he operated during this period, Cui Geng had no idea about these detailed plots for the time being.

But he was not in a hurry at all. After all, it was a buyout system. Cui Geng had no creative pressure at all. He only needed to slowly accumulate materials and create with great care.

Next, Cui Geng planned to watch all superhero-themed movies, TV series, comics, and anti-superhero works, as well as works reflecting the American political scene, and collect some materials.

There is a lot of content in these works. Even if he watched them with high intensity for eight hours a day, it would probably take at least a week to see them all. Moreover, whether he can find enough inspiration during this period and whether he can write a good story outline are all unknown.

But Cui Geng inexplicably had confidence in himself, because this theme was designated by Boss Pei!