Started as a comics editor

Chapter 302 Li Xue Returns, Unlocked

Almost three months have passed since Christmas.

New Year's goods games.

Or to be more precise, the peak season at the end of the year has seen the popularity of top AAA games gradually decline and dissipate... so we have officially entered the spring season.

After players have finished enjoying the games released at the end of the year, their demand for new games has rebounded.

Some mid-tier blockbusters have begun to appear.

Among these, the most dazzling is undoubtedly Left 4 Dead.

The popularity of Avalon's AG platform and Left 4 Dead has snowballed.

That 15-minute gameplay demo became the focus of ongoing discussion in the player community, and the game became the most anticipated game of this release period...

This year, coincidentally, not many well-known blockbusters were released during this period.

have to say.

This outcome was unexpected even for Tang Yao...

Sometimes, luck is a truly mysterious thing.

On the other hand, although AG platform started quietly overseas, thanks to the huge magnetic effect of "Left 4 Dead", the number of registered users and activity are steadily increasing.

Many players who were drawn to pre-order Left 4 Dead, like Ben Carter, were attracted by AG's simple and efficient interface, independent rating system, and vibrant community while waiting, and went on to try Avalon's previous works such as Undertale and Outlast.

The unexpected rebound in sales of older games and the positive feedback from new users acted like a shot in the arm for Avalon, boosting the morale of Yuan Yanbo's team and further increasing the popularity of Left 4 Dead.

After all, players will always discuss these games after playing the older ones, and seeing the discussions will inspire other interested players to download the AG platform.

Once you download the platform, you'll inevitably notice the heavily promoted Left 4 Dead...

However, the higher the stage and the brighter the spotlight, the heavier the pressure on the staff's shoulders becomes.

Because as its popularity increases.

The all-or-nothing feeling brought about by the word-of-mouth bet did not diminish over time; on the contrary, it became even clearer as the release date approached.

Tang Yao, however, maintained her composure and methodically handled the final trivialities before the game's release: server stress testing, confirmation of the day-one patch, and public relations strategies for lifting the embargo on global media reviews...

But there was a subtle weariness deep in her eyes.

in the office.

The table was piled high with various documents and data reports.

Tang Yao frowned as she looked at a report on the screen regarding server expenses and future collaborations.

Just then, there was a gentle knock on the office door.

"Please come in."

Tang Yao didn't even look up, her voice carrying a hint of detachment in her work mode. The door was pushed open, but no footsteps were heard immediately.

A strange feeling, as if even the air had gone quiet for a moment, made Tang Yao subconsciously raise her head.

Then, she saw Li Xue.

Li Xue stood gracefully at the door, wearing a neatly tailored beige coat. The open coat revealed a soft brown turtleneck cashmere sweater underneath, perfectly outlining the shapely curves of her upper body. She looked gentle and sweet.

Although her beautiful face still showed signs of fatigue from the long journey, her eyes lit up with a gentle light the moment she saw Tang Yao.

She returned a day earlier than planned, without telling Tang Yao, and appeared in Tang Yao's sight with a slightly chilly aura.

When Tang Yao saw Li Xue, her red lips parted slightly, and she froze.

"Why is it ahead of schedule?"

After a while.

Tang Yao finally realized what was happening, tilted her head, and looked puzzled.

"The matter has just been resolved."

Li Xue's voice was gentle, like melting snow in early spring, clear and warm.

She smoothed her hair behind her ear, then looked at Tang Yao's beautiful face, illuminated by the screen light, and continued, "So I rushed back."

"You haven't even been home here?"

Tang Yao noticed the suitcase that Li Xue was dragging behind her.

"Ah."

"you……"

Tang Yao was startled again, opened her mouth as if she had a thousand words to say: about the game, about the pressure, about her surprise at her travel-worn return, and about the complex thoughts that suddenly surged in her heart.

But in the end.

Those complex and turbulent emotions, under Li Xue's calm and gentle gaze, and before her stunningly beautiful face, tinged with the dust of her journey, simply turned into a soft sigh.

My nerves have been on edge for days.

The anxiety and pressure that had been weighing on my heart seemed to find an outlet at this moment.

then.

Tang Yao looked at the huge pile of documents next to her and immediately showed a look of utter despair.

"Come quickly and help..."

"..."

Upon hearing this, Li Xue smiled suddenly, like a spring breeze melting away the winter snow.

She put down her suitcase and immediately went to Tang Yao's side.

Then she discovered.

Tang Yao, unusually, didn't wear the classic jeans and sweater combination. Instead, she changed into a well-fitting dark women's suit, with a simple white shirt underneath. The top button was neatly fastened, perfectly showcasing the elegant lines of her neck. Even sitting down, her graceful proportions were evident. Her shoulders and back were straight, and her waist was slender and strong. The suit's tailoring perfectly hugged her curvaceous figure, exuding competence and maturity while subtly revealing a breathtaking feminine charm.

The girl who used to wear comfortable sweaters and jeans and had a casual vibe has disappeared, replaced by a calm, professional woman with sharp lines.

But her temperament seems unchanged. Her unique vitality is enveloped by the mature framework of the suit and the composure between her brows, forming a unique beauty. The two qualities coexist harmoniously in her, creating a breathtaking charm.

"what?"

Tang Yao noticed that Li Xue had been staring at her since she came to her side, which puzzled her.

Upon hearing this, Li Xue's voice softened even more than before, filled with genuine admiration: "It's very beautiful."

Upon hearing this, Tang Yao subconsciously looked down at her unusually formal attire, a hint of embarrassment flashing across her face: "There's no other way. With you not here, there are too many things to do... Someone has to step in and play the role of that 'powerful but unapproachable executive' to keep things under control."

Li Xue was taken aback by his answer, seemingly not expecting it, and subconsciously asked, "...Are you sure you can suppress it!?"

Don't blame her.

Because that blend of qualities is captivating, not frightening.

"..."

Tang Yao glared at Li Xue lightly, without responding, but stood up as if she had been insulted... A few strands of her soft hair swayed slightly as she stood up, brushing against her snow-white neck. The capable aura given by her women's business attire was amplified when she stood up.

But the unique charm in her eyes and brows miraculously balanced this maturity, making her like an iris flower just beginning to bloom in the wind.

Tang Yao slightly opened her arms, not to hug, but more to show herself off. Her snow-white chin was slightly raised, with a hint of defiant arrogance: "Why can't you control me?"

Li Xue sized up Tang Yao for a moment, then said seriously, "She really can't control her..."

"I……"

Tang Yao glared at Li Xue again, immediately bristling, and took a step forward to pinch her.

Li Xue chuckled lightly and didn't struggle, letting her pinch her.

For an instant.

The two then returned to their previous way of getting along.

They started playing around.

The brief separation seemed to have changed nothing.

But at the end of the day.

Tang Yao has been supporting herself on her own for a while now, and she's definitely getting tired.

"..."

the other side.

Li Xue felt a sense of peace as she smelled the pleasant, faint fragrance emanating from Tang Yao.

The fatigue accumulated during the journey seemed to vanish instantly.

And next.

Neither of the two best friends spoke, neither about the hardships, nor about the journey, nor about their respective thoughts during the trip.

Just stay quietly.

After a while...

Li Xue slowly raised her head, then looked at Tang Yao's fair and beautiful face, and suddenly whispered, "I said..."

"..."

Tang Yao blinked her beautiful eyes, knowing what she was talking about, but simply nodded: "Oh."

"..."

Looking at Tang Yao's indifferent reaction, Li Xue pursed her glossy red lips.

Looking at the anxious and uncertain Li Xue, Tang Yao finally couldn't help but burst out laughing: "Li Xue... you're really not afraid of getting beaten up?"

(2)

……

……

Fifteen minutes later. "I really want to rest."

The two stood facing each other.

Li Xue leaned against the edge of the large desk, her beige coat open, and her stunning curves, encased in a brown cashmere sweater, were even more pronounced in her relaxed posture.

She gently took Tang Yao's hand and suddenly whispered these words.

"You just got back!"

Across from her, Tang Yao, her hands being held, pursed her pink lips and said irritably, "What rest? We need to finalize our development plans after Left 4 Dead is released..."

"Too……"

Li Xue blushed slightly, then changed the subject: "Have you been working hard lately?"

"What do you think?"

"Go all in on reputation."

Upon hearing this, Li Xue suddenly realized what was going on, and then said softly, "That is indeed quite arduous."

Although the two had been separated during this time, they had kept in touch, and Li Xue was aware of the current situation.

Tang Yao sighed softly, let go of Li Xue's hand, took a few steps forward, and leaned back against the edge of the large desk alongside Li Xue. Then she turned her head slightly and looked at the screen: "The hardship is secondary. The key is that feeling of... uncertainty. The project team is under more and more pressure."

Li Xue hesitated, then said, "Then..."

"No need for postponement."

Tang Yao smiled, knowing what Li Xue wanted to say, and said directly, "Although it's hard work and the staff are under a lot of pressure, we will not fail."

"Why?" Li Xue blinked her beautiful eyes and asked softly, not out of doubt, but out of curiosity.

"Because I have confidence."

Tang Yao replied softly, "I have confidence in the game, and I have confidence in the staff..."

Say it.

Tang Yao reached out, but instead of taking Li Xue's hand, she gently grasped her fair wrist, feeling her steady pulse with her fingertips.

Li Xue covered Tang Yao's hand that was holding her wrist with her own: "Hmm...then we'll rest later..."

Upon hearing this, Tang Yao immediately turned her head and glared at her: "You just got back, and you'd better have said you were resting!"

Li Xue's face was flushed, but she forced herself to remain composed and raised her snow-white chin: "...Yes."

"..."

The two looked at each other for a while.

Then they suddenly looked at each other and smiled, and all the pressure and worries seemed to melt away at that moment.

All that remains is the anticipation of waiting for dawn to break.

After all.

After spending so much time together.

...to each other, the other has become incredibly important.

……

Li Xue is back.

Avalon is on the right track... at least for Tang Yao, this is the right track.

Although she herself didn't have any problems, she always felt that something was missing.

I no longer feel that way now.

With Li Xue's return, morale didn't change much, but the workflow did become much smoother...

The staff, especially the Left 4 Dead project team, are still under tremendous pressure.

But nothing went wrong, and everything proceeded smoothly.

Avalon has been pushing the already wildly popular Left 4 Dead to even greater heights.

Days passed by one by one.

Time has finally come to that point.

That night.

Inside Avalon, the lights were on.

Almost all the core members involved in the Left 4 Dead project, as well as personnel from key departments such as platform, operations, marketing, and public relations, stayed with the company.

As midnight approached, the atmosphere at Avalon changed completely, a mixture of coffee, sweat, the heat from electronic devices, and an indescribable, highly excited tension.

Everyone was looking at the clock in the lower right corner of the computer screen.

The numbers are relentlessly ticking away, second by second.

The time is drawing ever closer.

Everyone held their breath, their eyes fixed on the system clock that was about to reset to zero.

Li Zhongzhi clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles turned white from the force.

Yuan Yanbo kept wiping away non-existent sweat from his forehead.

Most of the other staff members had serious expressions.

Tang Yao was in her office, while Li Xue stood quietly half a step behind her.

now.

Tang Yao remained quite calm, but she also knew that for Avalon... this game was the biggest gamble since the company's founding (although it was forced upon them), and it carried the final answer that countless players were looking forward to.

23:59:00.

You could hear a pin drop in the office.

00:00:00!

Midnight!
The game is officially unlocked!

Om-!
It was as if an invisible switch had been pressed.

But actually.

Nothing happened.

It's just a game, and it might be insignificant to people who don't play it or pay attention to it.

But for those directly involved, it's quite unforgettable.

"..."

Tang Yao realized what was happening, opened the AG platform, glanced at it, and then looked at the clock at the bottom of the screen, which had already jumped to 07 minutes. She murmured to herself, "It's been released."

"Ah."

Li Xue nodded gently, as if she wanted to say something more.

boom--

Lee Jong-ji, the project leader of "Survival Road," burst into the office.

His face was flushed from the long run and he was incredibly excited; his voice was trembling.
"President Tang! President Li! It's out! It's completely out!"

He didn't even bother to catch his breath, speaking rapidly like a machine gun:
"AG platform... unlocked! Players are starting to flood in!"

"Mercury Station, and PONG, are unlocked too!"

"And just now! The AG platform... the AG platform has reached peak activity! The number of online users has broken records!"

"..."

Speaking of which.

Li Zhongzhi took a deep breath, trying to sound professional, but the tremor in his voice betrayed him: "Currently... the peak number of online players is still climbing! This... this start is amazing! It's still rising! Do you want to see it!?"

"..."

Tang Yao was slightly taken aback upon hearing this. The tension that had remained on her face due to the interruption melted away quietly like ice and snow meeting the warm sun after Li Zhongzhi spoke.

Her beautiful eyes, which had always been calm and serene, widened slightly.

Then, little by little, the corners of her tightly closed mouth curved upwards into a soft arc.

That was neither a reserved smile nor a polite one.

It was an absolutely beautiful smile, a smile born from the sudden release of immense pressure, mixed with incredible surprise.

Just like a dormant volcano finally erupting with its most magnificent lava, or a flower bud that has been accumulating for a long time suddenly bursting into bloom.

That brightness and radiance instantly dispelled all the tension and solemnity in the office, as if even the air itself had become light and clear.

"..."

Li Zhongzhi was stunned when he saw this scene.

Standing behind Tang Yao, Li Xue somewhat unhappily shifted her gaze from the dazed Li Zhongzhi and naturally fell on Tang Yao's fair face.

"Does this count as... a success?"

Li Xue asked out of curiosity, but it seemed more like she was trying to confirm Tang Yao's feelings at that moment.

Tang Yao's smile remained bright. Upon hearing this, she turned her head and replied, "It's too early to say it's a success... This is just unlocking the game."

"That……"

"But I have confidence."

Tang Yao smiled radiantly: "With so many players willing to open the game immediately, it's bound to be a success. Believe me, Miss Li, our game... won't let the players down!!!"

(End of this chapter)