Game Development: Starting with Recreating the Anime Game Style

Chapter 176 Open the door and check the water meter

a few days later.

The night was dark.

The capital city, outside the sixth ring road.

Bai Shichang, humming a tune, carrying a bag of takeout, reeking of alcohol, staggered back to his "studio."

He fumbled around for a while before finally inserting the key into the lock. The moment he turned the key, a cacophony of noisy, foul odors—a mixture of sour takeout food smells and cigarette smoke—rushed towards him.

In the small room, there were several tables against the wall, and a few young people were sitting in the living room, typing away on keyboards.

It looks like an enlarged version of a dormitory.
"Brother Bai!"

"Brother Bai, you're back?"

Bai Shichang nodded and casually tossed the takeout he had packed at the barbecue stall onto one of the tables.

"Come on, brothers, you've all worked hard these past few days, let's have some barbecue."

As a professional online troll leader, he has made a fortune these past few days, so he was unusually generous this time.

Bai Shichang's studio doesn't look very big; there are only a few people there.

But each of these people controls several part-time job groups.

Bai Shichang's studio may look small, but it ranks among the top in the industry. By "iterating new ideas and using the network to achieve efficient and low-cost deployment," Bai Shichang's studio is quite successful.

He posted pictures of barbecue and said a few motivational things.

After sighing, "Game companies make money so much more easily...", Bai Shichang staggered to the computer desk and sank into the gaming chair.

Although Bai Shichang is the owner of the studio, he also has to manage the online trolls.

It's normal for the boss of a startup company to be a little tired.

He not only manages online trolls, but he also posts himself, skillfully opening several forums and social media platforms.

"Glorifying German-made weapons from World War II is disrespectful to history."

"Militaryism disguised as science fiction!"

Looking at the pile of carefully crafted comments and posts, Bai Shichang leaned back in his chair, quite content. In his eyes, these posts weren't just for posting; they were pure cash.

Moreover, this deal was very popular.

From the moment he started taking orders, his studio, including his own posts, almost always received criticism as soon as they were published.
But I'm not criticizing the manufacturers, I'm criticizing them for being insane.

For example, the comments under the post he just clicked on were all insults directed at him.

"It's 2016, and there are still these kinds of classic idiots who take money to do things?"

How are your family members?

"I've reported it. You're welcome. It's spreading rumors, inciting conflict, and damaging the online environment."

Most people would feel some emotion when they see so many people criticizing them, and Bai Shichang was no exception. However, he wasn't angry; he was excited.

For online trolls, they're not afraid of being criticized, they're afraid of being ignored.

"Good dog! Keep cursing, keep cursing..."

"A bunch of Starhounds, please keep cursing, don't stop, whoever stops is a grandson."

Bai Shichang casually replied to two comments that were meant to incite conflict. He even clicked on the profile pictures of a few people who were criticizing him and looked at their activity statuses.

Sure enough, they were either students or a group of newly employed office workers.

"A bunch of idiots, keep cursing, the more you curse, the more money I make."

"We're counting on you two to get a new house and a woman..."

Bai Shichang let out a burp, spat the cigarette butt from his mouth into the overflowing ashtray, and then glanced at the studio, which looked no different from a "garbage dump".

After some planning, I'll rent an office, start a company, and become a boss once I get this money. I'll also hire a pretty college graduate as my secretary.
He was just making plans when someone called out to him from the side.

"Brother Bai, something's not right..."

Bai Shichang frowned.

"What's wrong?"

"Someone posted an insulting message about us."

"You loser." Bai Shichang waved his hand impatiently without even turning his head. "What are we supposed to eat if no one scolds us? A bunch of students, will a few words of scolding kill you?"

"It's not just about scolding..."

"Brother Bai, come and look at this post. This post exposed our group and even said they'd report it to the cyber police." Hearing this, Bai Shichang frowned, turned around his gaming chair, and leaned over to take a look.

The screen displayed a forum post with the title highlighted in bold red: "[Technical Analysis: Who is Smearing Xingchen? Exposing the Black Market of Online Trolls in China]"

The post wasn't just typical insults; it exposed their personal information and QQ group screenshots. The post is extremely popular, already receiving thousands of replies.
"I've seen this ID before; it's been used to stir up trouble in other games!"

"OP is awesome! I've already tagged the cyber police; the internet is not above the law."

"I tagged them too! Everyone remember to include the hashtag #CleanInternetCampaign."

"Exactly! I was wondering why so many people were suddenly criticizing Xingchen. It's so strange."

"Holy crap, in the popular comments on Starry Sky, Boss Chen jokingly told those people to just send him money, and it's actually true!"

Upon seeing the post and the replies, Bai Shichang first cursed.

"What's there to be afraid of? Let's find some people to report this post."

"Cyber ​​police? These kids know nothing!"

Despite saying he wasn't afraid, the drunkenness in Bai Shichang's voice had dissipated considerably.

Anyone who's seen a horror movie knows that the one who shouts they're not afraid is often the first to pee. Bai Shichang cursed a few times for bad luck, and then started cursing at the other people in the studio.

"I told you before not to use groups, not to use groups, but you only care about convenience. Disband the groups and go back to the previous one-way communication."

After hurling a few curses, no one spoke in the studio anymore.

It seems that things have calmed down again.

But when Bai Shichang sat down again, he felt inexplicably uncomfortable. The screenshots of those groups in the post made him feel like he had been stripped naked.

"This Starry Night game is fucking awful."

Although the sponsor offered more money this time, this "Starry Night Games" was indeed different from the ones he had encountered before.

We'll have to ask the client to pay more then.
Just then, his phone rang abruptly, the ringtone sounding jarring in the now quiet studio.

The caller ID showed "Old Liu".

He was also a leader of an online troll group. Bai Shichang got into the industry through him, and this job was also arranged by him.

He treated the other person to dinner at the barbecue stand earlier, and that was about this matter.

Pick up the phone.

"What's wrong, Lao Liu? Have you come to your senses and invited me to wash your feet?"

There was no familiar lewd laughter coming from the other end of the phone, only a noisy background noise and Lao Liu's rapid breathing.

"Wash your feet my ass, Lao Bai. Look at your WeChat. Do you even know how to contact your sugar daddy?"

As soon as this sentence came out.

Bai Shichang's last vestiges of intoxication dissipated. Without hanging up the phone, he took a few steps to his computer. His WeChat account, which he had just opened, was still lit up. He sent a message: "[Boss, are you there?]".

Soon, a bright red exclamation mark popped up.

You are not yet friends with this person. Please send a friend request first.

Bai Shichang's pupils suddenly contracted.

He was deleted.

The sponsor who was telling him to "increase the intensity and not stop" just a second ago has deleted him.

Hearing that Bai Shichang remained silent, the other party clearly guessed what was going on.

"Damn it, you got blocked too, didn't you? Lao Bai, let me tell you, we can't do this deal. I have a bad feeling about this. I heard police sirens when I went upstairs just now."

"No, Lao Liu, you're being too anxious. They might just have changed their WeChat account. They still have a phone number, right? Even if they run away, it's just a matter of the final payment; it's not like they're going to bring in the police..."

As Bai Shichang spoke, he subconsciously walked to the window and glanced outside the apartment building.

The night was deep, and apart from a few late-night passersby, there was nothing else.

Just as he was beginning to feel a little relieved, thud! thud! thud!
There was a knock on the door.

The people in the studio looked at each other in bewilderment. After a while, Bai Shichang finally asked a question.

“Who…who?”

"Community staff, checking the water meters."

(End of this chapter)