Started as a comics editor

Chapter 248 Horror Games, you've heard of them, right?

Chapter 248 Horror Games, you've heard of them, right?
Hakone has a pretty good location. It is located in the Kanto region of Sakura Prefecture and is surrounded by green mountains and lakes. It has a high altitude and a cool climate, making it a great place to escape the summer heat.

There are also many tourist attractions nearby.

Among them, the most famous attractions are Owakudani and Lake Ashi, which were formed by natural volcanoes.

However, neither of these two attractions seemed to be to Tang Xun's or Li Xue's liking.

Ultimately, Lake Ashi is just a lake, and Owakudani is a steaming volcanic crater...

So after discussing it, the three of them decided to take the aerial cable car.

At least the perspective is a bit fresh.

You can get a quick aerial view of the Hakone area... in short, a super-fast aerial sightseeing guide.

The carriage swayed slightly.

Tang Yao and the other two sat down inside the cable car.

As the cable car slowly ascends, the forest below gradually shrinks in size, while Lake Ashi in the distance shimmers in the sunlight.

Tang Xun turned her head and looked out the window at the scenery.

Sunlight pierced through the clouds and shone on the surface of Lake Ashi, breaking into thousands of shimmering gold flakes, which was quite beautiful.

I can tell.

Although Kaoru wasn't particularly interested in Lake Ashi itself.

But I'm still quite interested in seeing things from the air.

Tang Yao retied her ponytail, glanced at her sister's profile, smiled gently, and then turned to look at Li Xue.

Li Xue blinked and looked at her.

Tang Yao twirled her fingers on the hair tie, her ponytail hanging loosely around her neck. Noticing Li Xue's gaze, she unconsciously wrapped her fingertips around the hair tie one more time, causing the ends of her hair to curl up like a kitten's tail.

"Miss Li, why are you looking at me like that? Isn't the view down there nice?"

Tang Yao asked out of curiosity.

"No... I just wanted to ask, do you want to take pictures?"

Li Xue took out her camera from her bag and asked a question.

"Photograph?"

Upon hearing this, Tang Yao immediately replied, "I don't want to..."

But the words had barely left his lips.

Xun, who had just been staring at the scenery outside the window, turned her head and grabbed Tang Yao's clothes with her fingers.

"..."

Tang Yao was silent for a moment, then said earnestly, "Xun, you should know that our brain is amazing. It automatically beautifies memories, especially good ones... but photos can ruin that and make memories less pleasant."

I won't listen to my sister's sophistry.

"This isn't sophistry; I'm teaching you the true meaning of life."

Tang Yao patted Tang Xun's shoulder, her fair and beautiful face full of seriousness: "Do you know what the opening words of the inaugural issue of 'Life' magazine are? It's about going to see life, going to see the world, going to witness great events, going to see the faces of the poor and the postures of the proud... In short, it's about going to see, not taking pictures, you understand?"

"I don't listen."

Tang Xun reached out and took her sister's arm, leaning closer to her.

Tang Yao: “…”

the other side.

Watching the interaction between the two sisters, and seeing Tang Yao's painstaking efforts to avoid taking pictures, Li Xue couldn't help but chuckle.

She adjusted the camera's focus, and the lens refracted a tiny spot of light in the sunlight.

Tang Yao noticed and could only look at the camera.

Click——

The picture freezes.

Looking at Tang Yao's figure in the viewfinder, Li Xue's beautiful face showed a gentle smile.

Then, I took a few more pictures.

Tang Yao seemed to have resigned herself to her fate, staring blankly at the camera like a dazed goose, just staring and staring.

Suddenly, something occurred to her, and she exclaimed, "Speaking of which, Miss Li... I've just had a brilliant idea!"

"Hmm? What idea?"

Li Xue paused, looking at Tang Yao with some curiosity.

Tang Xun was also a little curious.

"What do you think... about making a horror game?"

Tang Yao slightly raised her snow-white chin, thought for a moment, and replied: "Let the players play the role of a reporter who is powerless. Don't give them any weapons, just a handheld camera that can zoom and turn on night vision mode, and then... send them to a strange and gloomy mental hospital."

And it was at night.

The mental hospital is pitch black, filled with eerie sounds and strange movements. Players will have to take out their cameras from time to time, turn on night vision mode, and search for a way out through the dark green lens... Along the way, players will encounter many madmen.

There's a neurotic fat guy who doesn't carry anything, but if he catches up, he'll tear the player's head off in one hit.

There were also people carrying chainsaws, knives, sticks, and even scissors...

A terrifying and eerie mental hospital. In the darkness, the player holds a camera. In night vision mode, everything appears eerily green. As you walk, corpses suddenly fall from above. There are filthy scenes everywhere, with body parts scattered and blood splattering everywhere. It's a place teeming with mentally ill and perverted people...

The only thing the player can do is escape, find enough camera batteries, find a way out in the darkness, and escape as quickly as possible…

Tang Xun: “…”

Li Xue: "..."

Li Xue looked down at the camera in her hand and suddenly felt it was a little hot.

Tang Yao chuckled and asked, "How was it?"

That's right.

She was referring to the famous Outlast, hailed as the pinnacle of horror survival games.

to be frank.

For timid players, this game is less of a game and more of a pure prison experience.

It's pure masochism.

Yet many people still find it enjoyable.

Just like many people don't watch teen action movies at all, and have no idea who the target audience for these movies is.

Many people don't understand who the target audience is for these kinds of games!
But Red Bucket Studios, the creators behind the Outlast IP, managed to earn nearly 70 million RMB with a budget of less than 6 million RMB. The combined sales of Outlast 1 and Outlast 2, totaling 15 million copies, have made this IP a new icon in the horror game genre.

Yes.

The combined production cost of the two games was only six million...

The first Outlast movie was the most outrageous, standing out and becoming the dark horse of the year with a budget of only one million dollars.

Compared to AAA projects, which often have development costs exceeding $100 million, this is a classic example of achieving great results with minimal investment.

It must be said that the horror genre is indeed adept at creating miracles and achieving big results with small investments.

This is true in the gaming industry.

The same applies to the film industry.

For example, Paranormal Activity and Saw are also typical examples of low-budget films that generate high profits.

Actually, horror themes are all profitable... Although this may seem counterintuitive to players who don't like horror themes, horror themes are indeed a consumer necessity in the market because they have an extremely stable audience.

Tang Yao also thought of this game when she saw the camera.

After all, Avalon may seem thriving and full of vitality right now, with everything flourishing.

However, it still lags behind those established large manufacturers.

Whether it's a major company making online games or a major company making single-player games.

Challengers always need a breakthrough point.

Horror games are a good choice; they are low-cost, high-return, and can quickly build a reputation.

"..."

Tang Yao was thinking about it.

Suddenly, he noticed that Li Xue had come over and sat down next to him.

At the same time, Tang Xun seemed to move closer to him as well.

The three of them squeezed together.

What are you doing?
Tang Yao was a little amused and helpless.

But neither of them paid any attention to her.

Tang Xun was silent for a moment, then looked at Li Xue beside her and asked softly, "Miss Li... is my sister like this at the company too?"

Li Xue placed the camera on her plump and slender legs, deliberately pointing the viewfinder downwards: "I don't know which aspect you're asking about. If it's about imaginative ideas... yes."

"..."

Tang Xun fell silent upon hearing this, then looked at her sister with great concern.

"Forget it, you're not the audience, you wouldn't understand."

Tang Yao knew what Tang Xun was thinking, and she also knew that she wasn't very accepting of this kind of messy horror content. After all, she was a teenage girl, and it was completely unrelated to her. So she gently patted Xun's forehead with the back of her hand: "Don't worry about it, just focus on your studies."

Say it.

She looked at Li Xue.

Tang Xun can be ignored, but Li Xue cannot.

After all, he's the head butler.

"I suspect you're deliberately trying to scare us because you don't want to take pictures."

Li Xue noticed Tang Yao's gaze and said coquettishly, "Isn't that right?"

Tang Yao gently shook her head: "No, I really think there's a chance. Miss Li has heard of many cases of small investments yielding big returns in the horror genre, right?"

"……really."

Upon hearing this, Li Xue remained silent for a moment, roughly knowing that Tang Yao was serious, and slowly nodded: "But the company can't do it for the time being, right? Let's not talk about the previous mobile games, we also have a new online game in development, and we also have 'Left 4 Dead' on the single-player side... and that's a horror game, isn't it?"

"Yeah, you could say that."

"So we really don't have enough manpower."

"Yes..."

Tang Yao fell into deep thought.

There are indeed no more people available right now, and Avalon's advantage is obvious: Tang Yao.

Tang Yao's memories can help the game quickly determine its core gameplay, overall flow, and various details.

That's it in a nutshell.

No matter what game it is, Avalon can help you avoid detours... or even avoid them altogether.

Every project is a road to success.

But no matter how great the road to heaven may be, someone still has to walk it.

Avalon isn't that big of a deal yet.

However, it's unrealistic to ask Tang Yao to abandon the existing project.

Perhaps... we could try an acquisition?
Tang Yao thought of a possibility... Avalon still has plenty of cash, enough for her, Tang Xun, and Li Xue to live comfortably for several lifetimes.

The success of "The Secret" also gave Avalon a taste of success.

However, this also carries risks; it could become too big to handle and could also alter the current atmosphere in Avalon.

Perhaps we can wait until Left 4 Dead is finished?
Ok……

Tang Yao fell into deep thought.

But soon.

"Tang Yao."

Li Xue's voice brought Tang Yao back to her senses.

Tang Yao looked over and noticed that Li Xue's gaze was fixed on Xun.

The meaning is obvious.

Don't discuss these topics in front of Kaoru, or she'll be very bothered.

Clearly, she also cared about Xun. Although it was mainly because of her affection for Xun—after all, Xun was Tang Yao's sister…

"Feel sorry."

Tang Yao immediately understood, nodded gently, and then showed a bright smile: "Alright, let's not talk about work anymore. Xun, where do you want to go later? I heard that eating black eggs from Owakudani can extend your life by seven years."

Tang Xun frowned slightly: "The sulfur smell is too strong, you won't like it."

"The pleasure boats on Lake Ashi?"

"It's too sunny, you didn't put on sunscreen."

Tang Yao blinked: "Then let's go to the Sculpture Forest Art Museum?"

"……it is good."

Tang Xun thought for a moment and nodded.

Tang Yao turned to look at Li Xue, her ponytail swaying gently with her movements.

"I have no opinion."

Li Xue chuckled: "But before that."

She suddenly raised her camera: "Want to take another picture?"

"Eh?"

"Still filming? Go see life..."

Just as Tang Yao was about to repeat the inaugural editorial of *Life* magazine, Li Xue leaned in without warning: "You really just didn't want to take pictures, that's why you said 'horror game'..."

On the other side, Tang Xun also silently moved closer, her slender fingers gently tugging at the hem of Tang Yao's clothes.

Caught in the middle, Tang Yao sighed helplessly and forced a stiff smile.

Li Xue raised her camera high, approached Tang Yao, and was about to press the shutter.

But just then, accompanied by a creaking sound from the metal cables, the entire carriage suddenly shook.

The cable car swayed.

Tang Xun and Li Xue both stumbled.

Tang Yao instinctively opened her arms, one hand around Li Xue's slender waist, and the other around Tang Xun's shoulder.

The two of them bumped into her unexpectedly, their soft cheeks pressing against hers at the same time.

click-

The shutter clicked at just the right moment.

The image is frozen in this unexpected moment.

The cable car slowly came to a stop and began to sway.

Their cheeks were still pressed against Tang Yao's, and as their breaths mingled... it seemed as if they gently rubbed against her face.

That's really going too far.

“I told you that taking photos would make you unhappy.”

However, Tang Yao doesn't mind now.

She released the two of them and then muttered a complaint under her breath.

Li Xue didn't speak, but looked at the photos she had just taken. In the photos, the three of them had their faces pressed together intimately, glowing with a soft halo in the sunlight. Tang Yao's cheeks, which were slightly distorted from being squeezed, had a cute blush, and her soft cherry lips were slightly pouting because of the sudden pressure, like a frightened little hamster.

Li Xue couldn't help but smile softly.

Although there was one more person.

But she liked the photo.

Tang Yao peeked over and took a look, then said, "Delete it."

"No."

Li Xue handed the camera to Tang Xun.

Tang Xun reached out and took it, replying in the same way, "No."

She also felt that there was one more person.

But she also liked the photo.

"Hey……"

Tang Yao reached out to grab the camera, but Tang Xun held it high.

The cable car moved slowly forward, sunlight streaming through the glass windows and scattering golden fragments across the ground. Tang Xun's camera, held high, drew a graceful arc in the light and shadow.

She suddenly leaned forward, her soft cheek pressed against her sister's profile once again.

Li Xue also moved closer, just like everyone else.

Click——

The shutter clicked crisply again, sealing this moment forever.

The three faces leaned close together again in the sunlight. Tang Yao was squeezed in the middle, her puffed-out cheeks resembling a squirrel stealing nuts. Tang Xun rarely showed a faint smile, while Li Xue was focused and gentle.

Below the cable car, the shimmering waters of Lake Ashi resemble scattered diamonds, while the distant silhouette of Mount Fuji appears and disappears.

But at this moment, all these beautiful views have become mere background scenery.

The sunlight remained gentle, the cable car continued its journey, and the figures of the three were forever frozen in the most beautiful moment.

……

The outdoor exhibition area of the Sculpture Forest Art Museum is shaded by green trees.

Tang Yao stood in front of a huge glass sculpture, sunlight filtering through the stained glass and casting ever-changing patterns of light on her face.

"Tang Yao, just stand there and don't move."

Li Xue suddenly took out her camera: "The lighting is beautiful."

Tang Yao was numb, and subconsciously put on a smile.

After the cable car incident.

Li Xue and Tang Xun, unusually, reached an agreement and started taking pictures everywhere...

The issue is.

Let them take the pictures.

They all like to use her as a model.

Tang Xun and Li Xue have become somewhat familiar with each other. Although there is still a slight sense of awkwardness, at least they can talk to each other a couple of times without the conversation revolving entirely around Tang Yao.

foreseeable.

After this trip.

The three of them will then be able to truly become familiar with each other.

It was truly relaxing.

Tang Xun's smiles became noticeably more frequent, and she started calling him "sister" more often.

This is a good thing.

It was a hardship for Tang Yao.

"Let's go over there and have a look."

I was forced to take another photo.

Tang Yao couldn't take it anymore. Pointing to a secluded courtyard, she tried to break free from her fate of becoming a model.

Tang Xun and Li Xue had no objections and followed along.

Surprisingly, there was a small foot bath in the corner of the courtyard.

It's no wonder this city is famous for its hot springs.

Tang Yao immediately suggested taking a short break.

Tang Yao refused to believe that they could still film like this.

Soon, at her insistence, the three of them took off their shoes and socks and sat by the pool to soak their feet.

Warm spring water washed over my ankles.

Tang Yao sighed softly, finally relaxing.

I don't need to be a model anymore.

"My sister's feet are so small..."

Tang Xun suddenly spoke, waking Tang Yao.

"Ok?"

Tang Yao looked down at her and her sister's feet, which were soaking in the water side by side—they were actually quite similar, both small and delicate, and as white as jade.

"No way, they're about the same..."

Just as Tang Yao opened her mouth, she saw Li Xue also move over to this side.

She glanced down at it, then said softly, "I think so too."

Because of her joining.

The three women's snow-white feet created an interesting contrast in the clear spring water—Tang Yao's were plump and cute, Tang Xun's were slender and delicate, and Li Xue's were bony and elegant.

Just as Tang Yao was about to retort, Tang Xun suddenly touched the back of her foot lightly with her toe, creating a tiny ripple.

"Xun! What are you doing? It tickles." Tang Yao was very ticklish, and chuckled softly, subconsciously pulling her foot back, but accidentally kicked Li Xue's delicate foot.

Li Xue, of course, retaliated; she held grudges.

soon.

In the warm spring water, the three of them chased and played with each other's feet like swimming fish.

Tang Yao's toes were round and smooth like pearls, and she would shyly curl up every time they were touched. Tang Xun would deliberately tease her sister, while Li Xue would rub her ankle against Tang Yao's sensitive soles, making her laugh until she cried.

"That's enough!" Tang Yao pleaded with a laugh, her cheeks flushed.

She tried to stand up and run away, but the two men grabbed her arms from either side.

Under the sunlight, the water rippled, and the laughter of the three echoed softly in the courtyard.

Tang Yao finally gave up resisting and let them play around.

Warm spring water enveloped my feet, and the rustling of leaves in the wind drifted from afar.

Tang Yao felt the tranquility and warmth of this moment. The heat of the hot spring, the warmth of the sun, and the warmth surging in her heart all blended into the most beautiful memory.

Looking at the smiles on the pretty faces of the two people beside her, she suddenly felt that this identity wasn't so bad after all—at least it brought her such joyful smiles.

but.

Tang Yao looked down at the three people's snow-white feet in the pool. Seeing that the two were still attacking her, she felt that she really should have a good talk with them that night! What kind of game is "Escape"?
Next.

The three of them then had a great time.

Lake Ashi, Owakudani, boat trip, Narukawa Museum of Art, Hakone Shrine...

Except for Tang Yao not going to soak in the hot springs with them anymore... the three of them visited almost all the famous tourist attractions.

The three of them became increasingly familiar and close.

just.

do not know why.

Tang Yao always felt that neither her younger sister nor Li Xue seemed to have any real connection with each other, just as acquaintances.

It's mainly because I'm close to her, I don't know why...

But whatever the case.

Time always flies when you're playing.

soon.

The holiday is almost over.