Midnight at twelve o’clock!

In a small rented apartment with one room and one living room, the lighting was dim.

The girl had clearly just finished showering.

At this moment, she sat in front of an old dressing table, gazing at her reflection in the mirror.

Her jet-black hair was messy and loose, with droplets of water dripping from the tips.

Her half-revealed small face, though without makeup and barefaced, still could not hide its stunning beauty.

Moreover, the faint tear glistening in her large eyes made her look even more pitiful and fragile.

She looked like a beauty who had been violated and repeatedly washed herself but could not wash away the shame—her gaze vacant, dull, and desperate.

It was no one else.

She had indeed been violated—violated by Gu Sheng.

More accurately, Gu Sheng had brutally ravaged her soul and spirit.

Since!

The announcement of the second half of Titanfall!

Shen Miaomiao had not slept a good night since then!

This thing was too explosive!

Previously, Golden Wind was a small, quiet game company; many news pieces had to be actively searched for to appear in some obscure corners of the media.

Therefore, when Phasmophobia was released before, they were especially surprised when “reviews” landed on them.

But now!

Especially now!

In a one-against-three situation!

Golden Wind had clearly become the media’s favorite, and they were pulled out and praised at every turn!

Various game media reviews kept coming nonstop!

There was no need for Yan Sheng to use his reputation fruit to specially cultivate media reports anymore!

The situation had completely reversed!

Now, Golden Wind had become the media’s sugar daddy, and everyone wanted a taste!

So!

For Shen Miaomiao, the reports about Golden Wind had shifted from “actively searching” to “passively receiving”!

In other words, from the very first day the second half of Titanfall was announced!

She knew things were bad!

After all, the game length of the second half was only about three hours, so the news exploded that very night!

Besides the game media crazily competing to report!

The term “Titanfall & Pacific Rim” once again climbed the hot search list for game entertainment!

Last time it was eighth!

This time it was fifth!

Shen Miaomiao’s head was buzzing!

Originally, she just hoped the second half of Titanfall could maintain the quality of the first half.

Yes, she didn’t dare to hope Gu Sheng’s game would start strong and fade—just that there wouldn’t be any more shocking highlights, and she’d be grateful.

But!

The most despairing situation still happened.

The intense mech battles ignited players’ passion; the deep boss fights brought players’ feelings with BT to a peak.

Finally, a tragic ending sealed this epic game.

And it didn’t end there; even when the final credits almost finished rolling, it still hid a surprise.

An electronic invitation card laying the groundwork for a spin-off.

With this operation alone!

Don’t say Shen Miaomiao couldn’t predict it.

Even the seasoned chief responsible for escorting the three generals of XunTeng had to admit, “You’re one sly genius.”

A 103% platform game coverage ratio.

Even those without a motion-sensing pod might have a copy.

Under the enormous pressure of such achievement, Shen Miaomiao endured for a whole week without daring to check the system, having nightmares almost every night—

Gu Sheng, Chu Qingzhou, Yiyou, many competitors…

The gaming world bullies me beyond help, taking turns to congratulate me on a new success.

Shen Miaomiao was terrified and anxious!

Shen Miaomiao was uneasy and restless!

Shen Miaomiao tossed and turned!

Shen Miaomiao couldn’t sleep!

She knew this time, her odds were probably slim to none.

That was why she hadn’t dared to check the system, like an ostrich waiting for the judgment to fall.

And today!

The last day of system document settlement!

Shen Miaomiao finally couldn’t hold back!

She carefully opened the system, wanting to see if she still had any room to avoid losses on this final day.

Just as she opened it, she saw the “expected rebate amount” item completely reset to zero.

[Project: Titanfall]

[Project Investment Amount: 170 million yuan]

[Project Settlement Time: 14 days (+1 day)]

[Project Rebate Multiplier: 10 times (+1 time)]

[Current Revenue Amount: 170,000,028 yuan (858,586 copies)]

[Expected Rebate Amount: 0 yuan]

[Remaining Settlement Time: 23 hours 59 minutes 59 seconds…]

Not bad.

Because of her small gamble back then, extending the settlement day by one, the Titanfall project successfully turned a profit.

But!

What did that matter?

Even if she hadn’t extended the day!

Even if Titanfall settled one second earlier and sold one fewer copy!

198 minus 28 yuan, net loss of 170 yuan, rebate 11 times, totaling 1,870 yuan.

So what?

Not even enough to pay her rent.

Shen Miaomiao was silent for a full thirty seconds!

Mouth open, scratching her head.

Wanting to laugh but couldn’t, wanting to cry but didn’t.

At this moment, she didn’t even know what expression to wear to face the fact that Titanfall took half a month to break even.

She randomly grabbed her hair, pacing back and forth in the cramped bedroom five times!

No matter how much she thought, she couldn’t understand!

It was like lamenting fate’s unfairness, or accusing fate’s trickery. Shen Miaomiao raised both hands, her face full of confusion, unwillingness, and incomprehension.

She questioned the quilt, questioned the curtains, questioned the air conditioner blowing cold air!

Her steps staggered, like a soulless zombie, stumbling to the dressing mirror.

“Ah—ah—!”

She asked the sky and earth, or maybe herself:

“This industry!”

“...Who exactly is losing money?”

“This game development industry!”

“...Who can actually lose money?”

“Ah?”

“No matter how lucky I am... I can’t... can’t make money all the way from PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds to Titanfall, right?”

“No matter how lucky I am!”

“...It can’t sell 170 million yuan worth in 15 days, right? Huh?”

“So... so this industry...”

“This gaming industry...”

“Who exactly is losing money, huh???”

...

“It’s us! It’s us! It’s us! Damn it, it’s us!!!”

Bang!

At the same time!

In a XunTeng video conference!

Sitting in his home study in front of his computer, Chen Guangde slammed the table heavily!

Just now!

The weekly sales report of the motion-sensing pod battle’s second week was released!

The data showed that after two weeks, the total sales of the Polar Bear third generation were 500,103 units worldwide.

Compared to Yiyou X2’s total sales of 830,000 units, it lagged by over 300,000 units, missing one-third of the market!

“We’re the Waterloo of motion-sensing pod sales!”

“Our game reputation is poor!”

“Our overall revenue is far behind!”

“At this rate, we’ll be utterly defeated!”

In the video conference, Chen Guangde angrily slammed the table at the three former top generals—three domestic first-tier FPS game directors—expressing heartbreak and fury!

“Could it be that, our glorious XunTeng Games! The nation’s top-tier game conglomerate!”

“Without underhanded tricks, we’re struggling to survive?!”

Once he said this!

The video conference fell into dead silence!

Even Chen Guangde himself opened his mouth, unsure how to continue.

He was bitter inside!

Indeed!

Previously, the Shen family young lady’s fierce anger shocked everyone, proving she was not a lucky charm in business.

But!

That warning strike only forbade XunTeng from cheating and did not backstab or use dirtier methods to retaliate!

What she did was merely confiscate their cheating tools and put both sides on an equal footing!

In other words!

Chen Guangde, a veteran top professional who had weathered storms in the gaming industry for years!

Had lost fairly to Shen Miaomiao, a newbie just emerging in the gaming world!

And!

She managed to break through his three-pronged siege!

What could Chen Guangde say?

Was his side too weak?

Of course not.

This time, they had a solid first-generation FPS, a trendy second-generation FPS, and a carefully crafted story-driven masterpiece.

Without Golden Wind!

Just relying on Yiyou’s Rage and Kol, they would lose the new generation FPS market of motion-sensing pods, surrendering absolute initiative!

Moreover, their concentrated tactical breakthroughs might have affected Yiyou’s planned racing and sports sectors!

But all calculations failed to consider!

Golden Wind.

This tiny game company with a total volume not even five hundred million yuan, managed to turn the tide with a single 170 million yuan investment, taking on the three giants!

This was not XunTeng’s failure.

It was that genius designer Gu Sheng being too formidable.

He was like someone from another world, bringing spectacular, imagination-breaking game works from his original world to dominate here.

That kind of dimensionality reduction strike ability was terrifying.

Especially after Titanfall’s release, Chen Guangde even felt his fear turning into a Stockholm syndrome-like admiration for strength!

In all his years in the industry, he had never met such a company!

This company was ridiculous!

Gu Sheng was ridiculous, his mind not normal, effortlessly mastering games big and small, winning despite weakness like eating and drinking!

Shen Miaomiao was even more ridiculous. Knowing her company’s size couldn’t compete with mature giants in the market, yet she let Gu Sheng repeatedly lead the charge with a “I must not lose this time” mindset, showing no fear of loss and relying on near-blind trust to fight strong enemies again and again!

Both crazier than the other!

Gu Sheng brilliant, Shen Miaomiao tough, and Golden Wind both brilliant and tough!

Thinking of this, Chen Guangde sighed.

These two were like two uneven puzzle pieces.

Normally, they would clash with anyone.

But only with each other did they fit perfectly, forming a complete picture and dominating the gaming world.

Such an incredibly rare probability terrified Chen Guangde.

Especially when he looked at it from Shen Miaomiao’s perspective, the bone-chilling chill almost made him shiver uncontrollably.

Because for Shen Miaomiao, there was only one correct answer—Gu Sheng.

Any other person, rookie or veteran, would lose everything with her reckless style.

Not to mention the Three Heroes fighting Lü Bu; Golden Wind probably would have collapsed before even finishing the old Yiyou mini-game festival!

Thinking this, Chen Guangde let out a long sigh!

It was fate and timing!

Some rejoiced, some suffered!

Maybe now, Shen Miaomiao was even working overnight to draft Gu Sheng’s commendation plan to further secure this outstanding pillar…

…

“Scoundrel, take my punch! Hey!”

Bang!

Shen Miaomiao had indeed firmly grasped Gu Sheng.

Physically.

At this moment, she was tightly clutching a large Husky-shaped pillow, its dog head replaced with a photo of Gu Sheng, punching and kicking it.

The sounds of pounding echoed repeatedly in the small room.

Poor “Gu Sheng” was beaten until its head shook, twisted and distorted.

Finally, out of breath, Shen Miaomiao raised her small foot and gave a flying kick!

Bang!

The Husky version of “Gu Sheng” spun three times in the air and crashed onto the floor with a slap.

“Huff... huff... huff...”

After venting, Shen Miaomiao collapsed exhausted, lying spread-eagled on the bed, gasping for air.

One billion yuan dropped to seven hundred million, seven hundred million dropped to three hundred million, and in the end, even the three hundred million vanished into thin air.

Originally, she thought she could break even with this wave and return to peak rich lady status.

But!

Gu Sheng kept pulling out incredible moves, and she ended up making a fortune!

One game destroyed her rich lady dream for sure.

Looks like she still had to stew in this cramped little rental apartment for a while.

Sigh...

Shen Miaomiao looked at the yellowed ceiling and sighed.

But on second thought, she had been blindly optimistic about the market situation back then.

At first, no one—from the media to Yiyou, even to XunTeng—believed in this low-budget escort work, nor expected it to break through among bulky, mature competitors.

Everyone treated it as a giveaway, a low-tier horse, which led to her misjudgment and completely ignoring Gu Sheng’s thick book-like plan, letting him freely perform.

So...

Thinking of this, Shen Miaomiao’s brows furrowed.

The next project would have to be personally guided by her.

Indeed!

I once was like a goddamn game design genius, accidentally hitting players’ sweet spots.

But as the saying goes, thirty years east, thirty years west!

Now I have grown!

I am no longer a greenhorn who knows nothing about the gaming world, impulsively giving wild guidance!

After over a year of experience, I’ve seen quite a few game profits and losses!

Moreover!

Even from a metaphysical perspective, my newbie protection period in the gaming world should be over!

So this time, I will don the armor again!

Remove the dross, take the essence, rally the troops, and display my might once more!

Thinking this, Shen Miaomiao took a deep breath and regained confidence!

Maybe it was because she had been beaten down so much, but now she felt her mental resilience had greatly improved, and her recovery was faster.

“System,”

With a thought, Shen Miaomiao summoned the system in her mind:

“Settle the Titanfall document. The road ahead is long and winding; we must focus on the future.”

Early settlement of profit documents.

This was a new small feature added when the system upgraded to the official version—when a document was profitable and beyond the basic settlement time but still within additional settlement time, the host could settle it early.

Currently, the Titanfall project was within its additional one-day settlement period, so Shen Miaomiao could settle it early.

Anyway, there was nothing much left to settle; keeping it only caused herself trouble.

However, just as Shen Miaomiao prepared to settle this document!

[Ding!]

Suddenly, a crisp sound rang in her mind!

[Detected project profitability!]

[Investment Return System v1.0 official version—New mechanism ④ activated!]

[“Project Additional Derivative Investment” enabled!]

Hiss—!!!

Upon hearing this, Shen Miaomiao jolted awake and jumped out of bed!

Right!

When the system upgraded to v1.0 official version, there was a hidden new feature that unlocked after project settlement!

If not for the system prompt, she would have almost forgotten!

With the unlocking of this final new feature, the complete version of Investment Return System v1.0 official edition was formed!

Shen Miaomiao was overjoyed and hurriedly read the feature description carefully!

-----------------

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by lotustale.com