Niche Film
Last updated 2026-03-29
Niche Film is a Trust Commission for Zhao in Random Play.
Steps
- Read Xiao'Zhao's DM
- Watch the videotape with Xiao'Zhao
Dialogue
WiseBelle, you know what a convenience store is?
REPLYYeah, there's one right outside my place.
Yeah, I know one right across from my place.
Yeah, there's one right by my place, just across the street.
Sorry, let me rephrase that — you know a film called "The Convenience Store"? It's quite an obscure one.
REPLYYeah, I know, it's pretty niche stuff.
I've collected it, but haven't listed it yet.
Yeah, I know it's pretty niche. I've got a videotape of it, but it never hit the shelves.
Great! The movie got pulled from theaters due to poor ticket sales, that's why I wanted to ask you about it.
Not only do you know about it, but you've kept the tape... No exaggeration, when it comes to variety, your tiny video store already outshines many major chain businesses.
REPLYIf you wanna check it out, I've got playback equipment in my shop.
Feel free to drop by my shop!
If you wanna check it out, I've got playback equipment in my shop. Feel free to come by!
Whoa, how'd you know I was just about to come over and take a peek?
Makes sense, you're a video store owner after all — you must've seen this kinda thing loads of times. Wait for me. I'll be at your door in a sec!
- (Idle)
- Zhao: I'm here.
- (Talk to Zhao)
- Zhao: I'm here, (WiseWise /
BelleBelle)! You still got the tape of "The Convenience Store", right? 
Sure, you can watch it anytime.- Yeah, the playback device is ready too.
- Zhao: Perfect! I'll just hang around for an hour or two then. I'll quietly watch it myself and won't get in the way of your business.
- Actually, I was planning to watch it again too.
- Zhao: Oh really? Let's watch together then!
The following is recorded in the Partner Archive
About ValueStory Description: You invite Zhao out for a movie. Turns out she was going to evaluate the movie's commercial value. But after everything that's happened, her view on "value" seems to have changed...
- Zhao: So this is what your room looks like. (It's so organized, like the kind of place for someone who likes things in order.It's so organized, like the kind of place for someone who likes things in order. /
It feels so cozy, like the kind of place someone who really enjoys life would live in.It feels so cozy, like the kind of place someone who really enjoys life would live in.) - Aw, I'm flattered~
- What's your room like?
- (ProtagonistProtagonist): (Thanks. Speaking of which, what's your room like?Thanks. Speaking of which, what's your room like? /
Aw, thanks, I'm flattered~ I try to keep it tidy. Speaking of which, what's your room like?Aw, thanks, I'm flattered~ I try to keep it tidy. Speaking of which, what's your room like?) - Zhao: My room? Hmm... nothing special, I guess. I only keep things that are useful.
- Zhao: Space is expensive, after all. Can't let too many useless things take it up.
- Useful things...
- (ProtagonistProtagonist): (If a room only had "useful things," wouldn't that be a little... dull?If a room only had "useful things," wouldn't that be a little... dull? /
If a room's only got "useful things," doesn't that sound kinda... dull?If a room's only got "useful things," doesn't that sound kinda... dull?) - Zhao: Maybe. But it's efficient... At least that's how I see it.
- (ProtagonistProtagonist): (If a room only had "useful things," wouldn't that be a little... dull?If a room only had "useful things," wouldn't that be a little... dull? /
- Useless things...
- (ProtagonistProtagonist): (But some things might not serve a purpose, yet just having them around makes you happy. Would you call that useful, or useless?But some things might not serve a purpose, yet just having them around makes you happy. Would you call that useful, or useless? /
Hmm... there are also things that might not really have a purpose, but just having them around makes you happy. Would you call that useful... or useless?Hmm... there are also things that might not really have a purpose, but just having them around makes you happy. Would you call that useful... or useless?) - Zhao: If I had to say, I'd still put those in the useless category.
- (ProtagonistProtagonist): (But some things might not serve a purpose, yet just having them around makes you happy. Would you call that useful, or useless?But some things might not serve a purpose, yet just having them around makes you happy. Would you call that useful, or useless? /
- Zhao: ...Did we get off topic? Let's get back to what we were doing.
- Zhao: Let's watch this movie — The Convenience Store.
- Once the lights are off, the room grows dim. Only the screen in front of you still gives off light.
Zhao sits quietly beside you, eyes fixed on the movie. - The movie is about a fully automated convenience store where customers check out on their own. Yet, the store still has one staff member.
The only staff member is a robot who failed the forbidden fruit test. It's kind of clumsy and always cracks bad jokes.
The story follows the robot staff and the many different customers who pass through the store. - Zhao: Hmmm... the ROI of this movie isn't too great. There's no central plot, and the story drags on for too long.
- Zhao: No wonder it ended up being rated a commercial failure.
- Not being a commercial success doesn't mean it's a failure...
- There are still people who love this movie.
- (ProtagonistProtagonist): It might've flopped commercially, but people still love this movie. Some of our customers really enjoy it.
- Zhao: Reality can be harsh. A commercial failure usually means something's wrong on many levels.
- Zhao: But... Let's keep watching for now.
- At the movie's climax, the "useless" robot is about to be recalled and destroyed. But the customers band together to save it.
Because "we don't want it to just disappear." - At the end of the movie, the convenience store remains open as usual. Customers come and go, each for their own reasons.
- Zhao: That robot... it didn't really do anything, but the customers still chose to keep it around.
- Zhao: Too bad real life doesn't work like that.
- It can happen in real life too!
- (ProtagonistProtagonist): It can happen in real life (too.too. /
too!too!)
- (ProtagonistProtagonist): It can happen in real life (too.too. /
- We can turn the movie into reality.
- (ProtagonistProtagonist): Then we can just turn the movie into reality.
- Zhao: Turning a movie into reality... that's totally something you'd say.
- Zhao: Actually, the movie didn't sell very well. It's already been pulled from theaters.
- Zhao: But the videotape version's still on sale. The production cost is high, though, so the profit margin's pretty thin.
- Zhao: The reason I wanted to watch this movie is that a friend in the business asked me to see if it's still worth selling.
- And your conclusion is?
- (ProtagonistProtagonist): And your conclusion is?
- Zhao: From a pure cost-benefit perspective, I've thought from the start that it wasn't worth continuing sales.
- But you didn't draw that conclusion immediately.
- But you still decided to watch it first.
- (ProtagonistProtagonist): But instead of drawing your conclusion immediately, you decided to watch it yourself first...
- Zhao: ...Looks like you've rubbed off on me.
- Zhao: But now... I think maybe, when someone enjoys a movie, that alone gives it value.
- Zhao: I'll tell my friend that's my conclusion.
- Zhao: Thank you for watching it with me, and for letting me visit your place. Next time, I'll invite you over to mine.
- Zhao: Until then... see you.
- (Zhao can now promote the video store.)
- (Idle)
- Zhao: It's time to go back.
- (Talk to Zhao again, optional)
- Zhao: Thanks for keeping me company, (WiseWise /
BelleBelle). To be honest, our post-movie chat was even more valuable than the film itself. - Zhao: I hope we can do things like this more in the future — it's been super helpful for me!
Other Languages
| Language | Official Name |
|---|---|
| English | Niche Film |
| Chinese (Simplified) | 冷门影片 |
| Chinese (Traditional) | 冷門影片 |
| Japanese | マイナー映画 |
| Korean | 마이너 무비 Maineo Mubi |
| Spanish | Película de nicho |
| French | Film de niche |
| Russian | Нишевое кино Nishevoye kino |
| Thai | หนังที่ไม่เป็นที่นิยม |
| Vietnamese | Phim Kén Người Xem |
| German | Nischenfilm |
| Indonesian | Film yang Kurang Populer |
| Portuguese | Filmes Não Populares |
Change History
Released in Version 2.5 - To Be Fuel for the Night