My game is depressing worldwide.

Lincheng City.

Inside a minivan driving on the road.

"So, the seafood platform is going to breach the contract, or even kick us while we're down? Manager Zhou, you should know that your platform doesn't actually have that many streamers accepting our orders, right?"

"Mr. Chen, I'm really sorry. As you know, games like Outlast are prohibited from being advertised. Our cooperation with DeepVision Technology has crossed the line, and we simply can't withstand the reports."

"Okay, I understand."

The phone hangs up.

As Yu Xiaoming drove, he angrily slammed his fist on the steering wheel, making a "beep" sound, and sighed, "I just spoke on the phone with editors, managers, and department heads of many live streaming platforms' game sections, and we all said pretty much the same thing."

Chen Xuan nodded: "What about Pi Zhan?"

"I haven't had a chance to contact him yet." Yu Xiaoming couldn't help but glance at Chen Xuan in the rearview mirror. "Should I give him a call?"

"Let's talk about it later."

As they spoke, the car had already parked in its spot, and the two headed toward the studio.

It was already past closing time.

Most people had already left work, but the key personnel in the studio were still there.

Seeing Chen Xuan walk in, Zhou Qian hurried over and asked, "Brother Xuan, I just found out from watching short videos that our game got reported? What happened?"

Shen Qingtu looked somewhat guilty and said in a low voice, "I'm sorry, it's probably because of me that Tian Shuo has made things difficult for me repeatedly."

"Stop, I don't do that." Chen Xuan sat back down in his seat. "What's with all those expressions? When there's a problem, just solve it, right?"

"Could it be that things aren't as serious as they seem, and that 'Escape' isn't banned from live streaming platforms as some online sources claim?" Zhou Qian's eyes lit up.

Unfortunately, things are pretty much as you expected; there's no good news.

"......"

"If the problems don't improve, is the marketing effort for 'Outlast' really enough, relying solely on the promotional力度 of this collaboration?"

"Of course it's not enough, it's a bit troublesome, but it's far from crippling." Chen Xuan tapped the table and said with a laugh, "So, Big Bear, you better stand up straight. The studio's funding chain isn't so easy to break. Continue the early development work of the second game project."

Upon hearing this, Xiong Xuewen, who had been listless, immediately perked up, his eyes shining brightly.

"So, boss, the plan remains unchanged?"

"The plan remains unchanged," Chen Xuan said decisively. "Moreover, two projects will proceed simultaneously. First, we will continue to expand the team to a size of fifty people. Second, after the release of Outlast and Outlast: Trials, the new project Honkai Impact 3 will be launched and enter the development stage at the same time."

Upon hearing this, everyone present exchanged bewildered glances.

"Boss, the sales of 'Outlast' are likely to be affected. Shouldn't we play it safe for now?" Xiong Xuewen, the more aggressive one, asked tentatively. "Or is it okay to not rush things?"

"Yeah, Brother Xuan, we're far from going to the point of burning our bridges. There's no rush to expand the team size."

"Junior, why don't you reconsider?"

"No need to think, I can probably guess who's behind this." Chen Xuan cracked his knuckles, then opened a Word document on his computer. "So what if they're using underhanded tactics? I'm Tian Shuo... no, Zheng Yanbin's ancestor!"

Attacking a friendly party's propaganda about violations is effective, but not insidious enough.

What is the most terrifying thing in the field of cultural creation?

It's being questioned for having a biased stance.

Coincidentally, He Xiangsong's appearance today gave Chen Xuan a good idea.

A flood of thoughts came to mind, and one common font after another gradually formed an article that was both deadly and psychologically damaging.

Although it was simple, it was enough to give Tian Shuo a hard time.

Halfway there, out of curiosity, Yu Xiaoming came up and took a look.

"Hiss... Brother Xuan, this is the first time I've agreed with Zhou Qian. Um, have you ever considered seeing a psychologist?" Yu Xiaoming's expression was complicated. "How did you come up with such a unique way to fight back?"

"I originally wanted to maintain a good image in my relationships with my colleagues, but all I got in return was estrangement." Chen Xuan typed the last period. "I'm not pretending anymore, I'm laying my cards on the table."

Yu Xiaoming hesitated for a few seconds, then took out his phone and gestured to it before asking, "So... should we answer the call from Fang Juexia, the person in charge of the gaming section at Pixiv?"

"Answer it, of course I'll answer it." Chen Xuan took the phone. "Let's see what this old bastard is up to."

Connect and turn on speakerphone.

It was Fang Juexia's cheerful voice that came through.

"Mr. Chen, the release of 'Outlast' is just around the corner. How can we help you with that?"

He acted as if no trouble had come knocking.

This was something that none of the people in the studio had expected.

It's common knowledge that the gaming section is in an awkward position on Pixiv, so it's unexpected that Fang Juexia would dare to offer help at this crucial time.

"Keep everything as usual."

"In that case, I have a favor to ask," Fang Juexia coughed lightly, "Could your company add the Pixiv channel to its secondary game development projects?"

Chen Xuan's expression was somewhat strange.

I thought Fang Juexia wanted to exchange this for some benefits.

Unexpectedly, they want to become a distributor for Honkai Impact 3?

Is this considered an unreasonable request?

This is not just providing timely help, it's sending one piece of help after another.

Single-player games with a buy-to-play model are far less dependent on distribution channels and publishers than games with ongoing operation.

The latter relies most on the "silent majority," who are the foundation of the game's survival and the "monthly card players" who contribute the most to revenue.

If you find a game fun, you don't care whether it's an official server or a third-party platform; you just play the game quietly.

If you get bored, you can quietly delete the game and quit without leaving a trace.

This type of player group usually downloads games in their own preferred way.

If they can't download the game using the familiar methods, they sometimes simply give up on playing it.

On the PC side, Tianshuo boasts the largest gaming portal website, its own game store, and several highly influential WeChat official accounts.

On mobile devices, there is "Tianshuo Mall," which holds the second largest market share.

Because of the terrible relationship between the mental hospital studio and Tian Shuo, this missing piece must be made up.

Unexpectedly, before Chen Xuan could even start worrying about this part of the content, Pixiv extended an olive branch and extended an invitation.

The game hasn't even been officially launched yet, so we don't know its quality.

Chen Xuan replied meaningfully on the phone, "Manager Fang, this is a huge gamble."

"It's either a win-win or a lose-lose situation. I choose to believe in the side that focuses on making good products. Although Tianshuo has many games, they can't bring new vitality to Pizhan's game section."

"Manager Fang, you can rest assured that this may be the most profitable gamble of your career, and even the entire Pizhan will benefit from it."

"Hearing Mr. Chen's confidence puts my mind at ease. Is there anything I can do to assist you?"

"No need, just do nothing." Chen Xuan looked at the articles on the screen that were meant to be hurtful and psychologically damaging. "There might be some minor turmoil coming up, so it's best for Pizhan to stay out of it to avoid getting into trouble."