Started as a comics editor

Chapter 240 It’s Over
What is Jiuxiao thinking?
They didn't even have time to think about anything, because they were also preparing for their own game.

of course.

I'm definitely going to be in a huge mess.

Because just as they were preparing their own games, all three of Avalon's games became massive hits!
Especially Hearthstone and Hearthstone!
If it were just these two games that became popular, Shen Lun would be prepared for that, which would be fine. It just means that Avalon does have some talent in game development.

Although this also gave Shen Lun a huge headache, almost making him grit his teeth to pieces...

But it's still somewhat acceptable, considering their game is still in testing. What if it crashes during testing?

However, "Fantasy Journey to the West" is also quite popular.

This gave him a real headache! Because it proved that ANF's channel for joint operation of games was also gaining traction!!
What's even more outrageous is that this didn't even happen before ANF, the channel, could exert its influence.

Avalon's release of three new games triggered a chain reaction.

Originally, "Starry Sky Poems" was intended to target FGO.

But now, with the release of three new games from Avalon, the tables have turned!
Shen Lun's worst fears came true.

Nobody's paying attention to Starry Sky Poems anymore... and hardly anyone's even discussing it anymore!
It's as if mobile games suddenly entered the next stage overnight.

In this situation, FGO has a core fanbase, while Starry Sky Poems does not.

The former has long attracted a large number of players with its excellent quality, while the popularity of "Starry Sky Poems" is entirely supported by advertising.

The two sides' resilience is not even in the same league.

Simply put, FGO's popularity was temporarily stolen by the new game, so it didn't really matter.

But what does "Starry Sky Poems" even mean?!
Because the public beta test is coming soon!
We spent so much effort and resources to build up our popularity! Now it's all gone!
So, should we have a public beta test or not? Should we release it?
"Starry Sky Poems" is caught in a dilemma.

Shen Lun is going crazy.

He never expected this!

Avalon announcing three new games has led to this outcome.

No.

Jiuxiao invested so many advertising resources in "Starry Sky Poems," isn't that just making a joke?!
more importantly.

This news came from yesterday.

to today.

With spontaneous word-of-mouth among players, the popularity of Hearthstone and The Legend of Mir 2 has increased even further.

and.

Another piece of news that made Shen Lun feel like the sky was falling came... "The Secret" had achieved great success overseas.

"……What did you say!!?"

Shen Lun is currently with the "Starry Sky Poems" project team, evaluating whether or not to release the game.

The situation with this game is really bad right now; even when it was released a while ago, the situation wouldn't be this bad.

Because at that time, the only competitor was FGO.

But now, the competitors aren't just FGO anymore; there's also Hearthstone, Yulgang, and Fantasy Westward Journey...

Although the types are different.

But can Starry Sky Poems, a turn-based game that imitates FGO, really beat these games?

Yes, Shen Lun was starting to worry about this...

The reason why "Starry Sky Poems" imitates FGO is because he is optimistic about the performance of this game in the mobile game market.

But now he's worried that he won't be able to beat other types of opponents.

The problem was caused by the developers behind FGO.

It has to be said, it's a bit of dark humor.

of course.

None of that matters now.

When Shen Lun heard that "Yun" had achieved great success overseas, his mind went blank for a moment, and he immediately lost his composure outside. He grabbed Yan Yun's collar and almost shouted, "Why? How did they succeed? Why did they succeed?!"

Hearing his roar, the staff around him all looked up and secretly glanced at him.

But Shen Lun ignored it.

Shen Lun was indeed mentally prepared for the news from China, ever since he watched that live stream and saw the game it showcased.

He was already mentally preparing himself.

Especially after seeing that Hearthstone was not the clumsy imitation of TCG that I had imagined, but an excellent game.

Yes.

He certainly has a certain aesthetic sense when it comes to games, after all, he has been working in the game industry for so many years.

He knows very well which games are good and which games will be loved by players.

This is why he was so irritable towards Yan Yun after the live stream, and even said things like asking Yan Yun to do a striptease.

Because he realized that Avalon, as a competitor, was not simple at all, and did not seem like the kind of company that would get lucky.

On the contrary, they are really capable.

This made him anxious and somewhat regretful. He couldn't say whether he regretted targeting Avalon or not continuing to try to acquire them.

but.

When they heard that Avalon was going to set sail.

He calmed down again, or rather... he had a glimmer of hope.

Because Jiuxiao had suffered a major setback when he went overseas, he knew very well how difficult it was. Therefore, he was certain that although Avalon was not as bad as he had imagined, its overseas venture would definitely fail!

And by then...

I still have a chance.

So even if I'm overwhelmed right now.

Jiuxiao invested so many advertising resources in "Starry Sky Poems" to target Avalon, but in doing so, they themselves became a laughing stock...

Even though Avalon's new games are becoming increasingly popular.

He remained calm.

perhaps.

A certain moment.

He even thought that once Jiuxiao acquired Avalon, all of these things might belong to Jiuxiao.

He was also well aware that the idea was absurd.

After all, it's still far from over.

Moreover, the acquisition is not guaranteed to succeed.

But the thought of Avalon, which had just gotten on track, overestimating its capabilities by trying to expand into overseas markets, made him want to laugh.

He was so certain that Avalon would fail that he didn't even bother to check their news overseas.

but now.

Yan Yun ran over and said to him.

They succeeded!
Success...

wrong! !
Why were they successful?

What made them successful?!

"..."

Yan Yun was grabbed by the collar, but didn't dare to struggle. He just looked at Shen Lun, whose eyes were red, and said with some embarrassment and some anxiety, "I can't believe it either, but they are really lucky... Their game is currently at the top of the GP Play store's best-selling list, and even mainstream authoritative professional game review media have reviewed their game."

This made their game increasingly popular, and consequently, more and more players became aware of it…

Upon hearing this, Shen Lun became even more agitated: "Why would a professional game review media outlet review mobile games?! And all three?!"

"It's not three, there's only one, and that's the one called 'Yun'."

Upon hearing this, Yan Yun quickly explained, "As for why they reviewed the mobile game, I saw from overseas players that it's because this game is closer to an indie game, and it's also related to a leak from a game editor. What are professional game review media trying to prove..."

He began to explain the cause and effect.

Damian's video exposing the shady practices of the review website where he worked has indeed gone viral.

And how could other review media possibly let go of this opportunity to undermine their competitors...?

They began to take advantage of the situation to kick someone when they were down.

Reviewing "Yun" is a good reason, as it can highlight the company's ability to discover good games and, through the topicality of reviewing mobile games, repeatedly remind players that the other review website is taking money and has even forced its editors to resign and expose the scandal.

That's when they noticed the special game "Yun".

This has made "Yun" increasingly popular.

have to say.

Damian really helped Tang Yao a lot.

The timing and location... everything is on Avalon's side.

"...Is that game editor crazy?!"

Upon hearing this, Shen Lun flew into a rage.

The surrounding staff all stopped working and looked at the distraught Shen Lun.

However, one of the staff members was rather unusual. Although he was looking at Shen Lun, his mind seemed to be elsewhere, focused on the game. He had an incredulous expression on his face and was muttering to himself.

"..."

Opposite to Shen Lun.

Yan Yun looked at his boss, opened his mouth as if to say something, but dared not speak.

of course.

Shen Lun didn't want to hear what he had to say.

He quickly released Yan Yun's collar, pushed him aside, then went to a staff member's workstation, pulled the person up, and sat down in front of the computer himself.

The staff member he pulled away was the one who had just been muttering something.

then.

Shen Lun opened his browser and checked the GP Play Store. When he saw that "Yun" was indeed at the top of the best-selling list and the game's highly praised reviews, he gripped the mouse tightly, as if he wanted to crush it.

It really... worked.

then.

Shen Lun's fingers furiously tapped on the keyboard, the screen light reflecting off his contorted face.

He opened one overseas game forum after another, and the discussion posts about "Yun" pierced his eyes like knives.

"This game changed my perception of mobile games!"

"A breathtaking journey for the soul!"

"A landmark work of art on mobile devices!"

"Cool! This is the most worthwhile money I've ever spent in a while!"

"..."

Although these statements differ, they all point to the same conclusion:

Avalon was a success.

Realize this.

boom!
Shen Lun slammed his fist on the table, startling everyone in the office: "Jiuxiao spent 50 million on overseas promotion last year! The media didn't utter a sound! The gamers didn't say a word! And now, some crappy mobile game is causing a collective frenzy!! Are they crazy?"

His tone was filled with extremely strong resentment.

The confidence Avalon displayed not long ago when it heard that the game was going to go overseas has now vanished without a trace.

No one dared to speak.

Most people don't even know why Shen Lun lost his composure like that.

Actually, this was caused by a variety of reasons... The explosive popularity of Avalon's new game in China greatly affected "Starry Sky Poems", and his initial dream of monopolizing the early benefits of the mobile game market was shattered.

And now Avalon's game expansion overseas has been a success. This little-known company's first attempt at going global not only didn't fail, but it achieved tremendous success!

This brings to mind Jiuxiao's tragic experience last year.

The last straw broke the camel's back.

Shen Lun lost his composure.

"boss……"

Yan Yun could probably understand Shen Lun's feelings, and called out to him softly.

Shen Lun, panting, turned sharply upon hearing this, staring intently at him: "Useless!!!"

Yan Yun: "???"

But Shen Lun ignored Yan Yun.

He straightened his crooked tie, then took a deep breath, finally managing to calm down and realize where he was.

He stood up with a livid face and a very unpleasant expression, about to return to his office.

He has to come up with a solution!

Otherwise, everything will be doomed!!!
Don’t say anything else.

If Starry Sky Poems doesn't come up with a solution soon, it's really going to be doomed!

But just as Shen Lun turned to leave...

The staff member who had been looking incredulous from the start suddenly whispered, "It really is this game. Wei Chi actually got involved with Avalon..."

Upon hearing this, Shen Lun abruptly stopped, then turned his head sharply, almost flipping it 180 degrees, to look at the staff member with the buzz cut: "What did you say?"

"what?"

The staff member snapped out of his daze and instinctively explained, "I was referring to this game, 'Yun'. I was also involved in the initial development of this game..."

"What!?"

Shen Lun was taken aback upon hearing this, then his eyes widened suddenly, and his voice rose abruptly.

……

at the same time.

Wei Chi craned his neck to look at the busy Avalon staff around him, feeling somewhat out of place.

Although he's now a member of Avalon...

Of course, the producer who joined Avalon with "Yin" did not initially have this feeling.

Some time ago.

With the help of other staff, he completed the finishing touches on "Yun", and he felt pretty good at that time.

Because the staff here are capable and have pleasant manners...

He only needs to say something once, and the staff can generally understand his intentions. Occasionally, they will even draw inferences from his words and give him suggestions on how to enhance the immersive experience.

At the same time, they would constantly play the game during the production process to find solutions to the problems caused by insufficient manpower in the past. They would not ask him how "Yun" was going to make a profit, or tell him that making this kind of game was a dead end.

They all said the game was very fun.

The process was a bit too short, and they even encouraged him to make it longer, acting as if they were more confident than him.

to be frank.

This was something Wei Chi couldn't have imagined when he led his team.

very special.

He also asked his staff why they weren't worried about making a profit.

After all, Avalon's original game was FGO.

The staff member kindly told him, "Are you stupid? With a buy-to-play model, what's there to worry about in terms of profitability? Just make the game well and attract more people to buy it, and you'll make a profit."

The game "Yun" doesn't need to consider these things at all. Even for online games, profitability isn't the most important thing, at least not on Avalon. The game has to be fun first before these issues can be considered. If the most basic issues haven't been resolved, then there's no need to consider them.

Because all Avalon games are like this; FGO and Hearthstone both have paid features.

However, if the focus had been on profitability from the outset, FGO probably wouldn't have had the stunning art and presentation that captivated players upon its release.

It's normal for the Hearthstone development team to be arguing about the strength of a single card. That's all.

That was the answer Wei Chi received.

of course.

The wording wasn't that harsh.

But that's roughly the meaning.

Wei Chi was deeply shocked after hearing this.

how to say.

Although Avalon was long past the startup phase and the company was much larger than the team he had led back then, he still felt that the company was very dynamic.

They are even more energetic than when his team was first established.

have to say.

This is truly an incredible thing.

However, this wonderful feeling did not last long.

With the completion of "The Essence", the testing is finished.

All the staff who had been transferred were reassigned, and the manager next to the beautiful boss even told him about it.

We really don't have enough manpower.

Meanwhile, the Hearthstone project team is really short-staffed.

Therefore, they can only be temporarily transferred there to help. If there are any problems with "Yun", they will come back as soon as possible.

Wei Chi had no objection to this.

Because he also knew that Avalon was very busy.

Although we have been recruiting.

However, the staff transferred to him seemed to be the original group of staff, whose abilities and experience were indeed stronger than those of the new staff.

However, having no objection is one thing.

This did have some side effects, such as... making him seem idle.

Everyone is so busy.

After he finished his work "Yun", he found himself with nothing to do.

of course.

His feeling of being out of place is also related to the unique nature of the game "Yun".

This is because this game is the only one with a buy-to-play model among the games announced by Avalon this time.

Wei Chi has already secretly read the players' reviews.

pretty good.

He was very happy.

But players weren't just discussing "Yun," they were also discussing "Hearthstone" and "Fantasy Journey to the West"...

In comparison.

There are clearly more players discussing the latter two.

Especially Hearthstone.

So he couldn't help but wonder... compared to these two games, does "Yun" really have an advantage?
"..."

Wei Chi sat upright in his chair, his monitor still on the 'Wanderers' forum page, where hundreds of replies had already been posted about Hearthstone.

He hadn't felt anything before.

After all, there's no comparison.

But now that there's a comparison, he suddenly feels that "Yun" doesn't seem to have any advantage over continuously operating card games and traditional online games.

He also knew that the game "Yun" was going to be launched overseas...

Of course, this couldn't be kept from him.

He was uneasy at the time, especially after noticing that Hearthstone was more popular than The Legend of Mir.

He became even more uneasy.

No... does "Yun" really deserve it?
If this game fails at sea, how will he face the staff who believed in him, and the beautiful boss who said "his game is unique" and personally taught him how to modify it?

Once you think about these things more deeply...

Wei Chi was very anxious.

It's especially frustrating when other staff are busy and you're bored out of your mind.

I tortured myself like that for quite a while.

Just when Wei Chi couldn't hold back any longer and mustered up the courage to go to the foreign websites to see what the players were saying.

Sudden.

The phone rang.

Wei Chi had no choice but to give up for the time being. He picked up his phone and glanced at it, then saw an unexpected name.

Chu Jian.

Chu Jian, the one who had a huge argument with him back then and left without looking back...

He was the last member of his original team.

"..."

Wei Chi never expected the other party to contact him again. He hesitated for a long time after looking at the caller ID before answering the phone: "Hello?"

"Hey, long time no see, Wei Chi."

"haven't seen you for a long time……"

Hearing the familiar voice, Wei Chi asked with some emotion, "Chu Jian, have you found a job yet?"

"found it……"

Chu Jian on the other end of the phone sounded a little embarrassed: "I'm currently working at Jiuxiao."

"Congratulations."

"..."

Wei Chi offered his congratulations.

Then, the two fell silent.

After all, the two had a big fight and broke up back then.

This awkwardness is unavoidable.

Finally, Chu Jian on the other end of the phone spoke first, tentatively asking, "I almost forgot about something else. Congratulations on the success of 'Yun' too. By the way, did you publish the game with Avalon? Or...?"

"Thank you, but it wasn't really a great success..."

Wei Chi was stunned for a moment upon hearing this, then thought of Avalon's other games and said with a wry smile, "Avalon's games are all too amazing. As for whether the game was published by Avalon... no, I joined Avalon. Back then, I couldn't manage on my own, and they were the only ones capable of helping me make the game."

Hear this.

A curse seemed to come faintly from over there.

Chu Jian's voice rose a few decibels: "...Isn't this a great success?! 'The Hidden Essence' has even entered the bestseller list overseas!"

"overseas?"

Wei Chi was stunned: "Bestseller list?"

Because Li Xue was having a meeting with Tang Yao and others in the conference room.

Wei Chi was just about to check on the game's performance overseas when he was interrupted by a phone call.

So he really doesn't know the situation of the game right now.

Chu Jian sensed Wei Chi's surprise and fell silent.

"..."

And it was at this moment of silence that he fell silent.

It seems someone took the phone.

Then, an unfamiliar voice rang out, getting straight to the point: "Mr. Wei, right? Are you interested in working for Nine Heavens? Two million a year, and you can get 5% of the sales revenue from the next game."

"??"

Wei Chi was stunned. After a long while, he finally uttered a questioning sound: "Huh?"

What the hell?
What? It's already 200 million?

The average annual salary in the gaming industry is only 20 yuan now, right?

And dividends?

“I am Shen Lun of Jiuxiao. If you don’t know who I am, it doesn’t matter. You just need to know that I can make decisions for Jiuxiao.”

Shen Lun's voice continued: "Jiuxiao, you should know which company it is, right? So are you interested? You don't know yet, do you? Your 'Yun' has achieved great success overseas and is currently at the top of the app store's best-selling charts. According to our estimates, it has generated at least tens of millions in revenue."

"……real!?"

Hear this.

Wei Chi paused briefly, then his breathing suddenly became rapid, and his voice became somewhat distorted.

It's a success!? My game has actually succeeded overseas!?
If that's the case, then I shouldn't disappoint her!

"of course it's true."

Shen Lun on the other end of the phone could hear Wei Chi's excitement: "That's why I have high hopes for your abilities. As long as you come to Jiuxiao, I will give you the greatest autonomy, and there will also be sales bonuses. Avalon probably doesn't have similar conditions, right?"

You worked so hard on making the game, only to have it all benefit someone else in the end. That must feel terrible, right? I know you had no other choice before, but now you do. Talented people shouldn't be confined to one place. Besides, Avalon isn't a very big platform to give you a bigger stage, but Jiuxiao can.

So, what do you think? Interested?

If you feel it's unfair, I can even provide you with some legal assistance, for example, if you feel... "The Essence" is your game.

"..."

Wei Chi snapped back to his senses, barely suppressing his excitement. He realized what was going on, and his expression turned strange, yet also somewhat tempted.

With such tempting offers, it would be a lie to say you weren't tempted.

High annual salary plus bonuses.

just.

Wei Chi looked around at the busy staff.

I remember when I was desperate and came to Avalon, I met Tang Yao and she said to me, "Your game is unique... Although I gave a lot of suggestions for improvement, in the end, it's mainly about the technical and presentation aspects. Avalon may be able to make similar gameplay, but it can never replicate your perspective, your inspiration, and your expression of the world."

Commercialization and technology are merely tools—I cannot replicate what you intend to express, which is why I sought you out. I eagerly await the moment your game is fully completed.

A beautiful young female boss, a genius game developer, both appreciating their own creativity...

This is something hard to imagine.

At the time, Wei Chi found it hard to imagine.

"...I'm sorry, Mr. Shen."

Thinking of this, Wei Chi took a deep breath and replied, "I don't want to leave Avalon for now. It's fine here, thank you."

There was silence on the other end of the phone for a few seconds.

Then, Shen Lun's voice rang out again, becoming somewhat sharp, his confidence vanishing without a trace: "Do you know what you're saying? What can Avalon give you?"

"They gave me the opportunity to complete the game 'Yun'."

Looking at the players' sincere comments on the screen, Wei Chi's voice gradually became firm: "Moreover, without President Tang, this game might have remained a half-finished product forever. Many of the suggestions she made were actually points that players praised."

"What opportunity..."

Shen Lun wanted to say something more.

Wei Chi interrupted him directly, saying, "What opportunity? Just ask Chu Jian next to you. He should know very well the predicament I was facing at the time. And Avalon offered help in my time of need, but it wasn't a condescending act of charity with conditions attached... I am truly grateful."

"What kind of charity do you think Avalon is? They're just gambling—"

"And what about you? If I had brought the game to you back then, would Jiuxiao have dared to gamble?"

Wei Chi asked quietly, then said, "The publicity budget for 'Starry Sky Poems' is enough to make twenty editions of 'Hidden Essence,' right? But... do you dare?"

"..."

"Mr. Shen, thank you for your kind offer. That's all for now... I'm sorry, I'll hang up now."

After asking the question, Wei Chi immediately hung up the phone.

It's not a lie.

He did see Li Xuechao walking in this direction.

Li Xue seemed not to have heard what he had just said and asked bluntly, "Wei Chi, do you have time now?"

As the time goes.

This older sister is definitely starting to resemble Avalon's head housekeeper more and more.

"Yes, what's wrong?"

Wei Chi quickly forgot Shen Lun's words and asked a question out of curiosity.

"Tang Yao wants you to go to the conference room."

"what's up?"

"It seems to be about a new game."

"oh!?"

……

at the same time.

The phone call was suddenly disconnected, and the busy tone felt like a slap in the face.

Shen Lun put down his phone, like a volcano about to erupt.

Chu Jian, who had been listening in the entire time, had an even more complicated expression.

Envy?
envious.

Regret?
Sort of.

"..."

Shen Lun handed the phone back to Chu Jian.

The office was eerily quiet; even the sound of the central air conditioning vents could be clearly heard.

Chu Jian reached out and took the phone, finally realizing what was happening. Looking at Shen Lun, whose face was frighteningly dark, like a volcano about to erupt, and whose whole being exuded a low-pressure atmosphere, Chu Jian's Adam's apple bobbed involuntarily.

He didn't know whether he should say goodbye or not...

But the good thing is.

He didn't hesitate for long.

dong dong——

A dull knocking sounded suddenly, followed by the door being pushed open, shattering the terrible silence.

Chu Jian felt as if he had been granted a pardon. He quickly bowed, then passed by Yan Yun and left the office.

Yan Yun, ignoring him, rushed in and, before Chu Jian could leave, said urgently, "Boss... ANF has made another move. They want to end this round of testing for Hearthstone and Fantasy Journey to the West ahead of schedule, and they've also said they'll launch the open beta ahead of time. They also plan to hold an online Hearthstone tournament on ANF!"

"..."

Hear this.

Chu Jiandu was startled and couldn't help but sigh inwardly... Avalon reacted so quickly!

Not to mention Shen Lun.

His face turned ashen, and he stiffly gripped the mouse, opening ANF.

When I saw the countdown to the open beta of Hearthstone and the tournament promotional posters prominently displayed on the ANF homepage.

His eyes went dark immediately.

(End of this chapter)