Amidst the explosive promotional atmosphere!

The project's progress was advancing rapidly!

Moreover, thanks to the CDEA's support and promotion for the "To the Moon" project, the "Escape" project remained even more deeply hidden.

Almost everyone's attention was focused on this charity week event.

Gu Sheng was extremely satisfied with this situation.

Because the deeper the Escape project was hidden, the safer it would be.

When the project was nearly completed, they could launch another promotional wave, concentrating their strength for an explosive impact while catching Komera off guard, leaving them no time to intervene.

A dump truck that appears out of nowhere is the best dump truck.

Thus!

Today they'd reveal a bit about the game's art style returning to pixel graphics.

Tomorrow they'd hint that the game would be a story-driven RPG.

The day after, they'd tease that the game would feature a mysterious guest performing the ending theme song.

One piece of news after another was released, each sparking heated discussions among players!

After all, when Golden Wind first entered players' sights and Gu Sheng earned the Supernova title, it was through pixel-style games!

It's no exaggeration to say that "Vampire Survivors" played a pivotal role in reviving the pixel art style!

The "story-driven RPG" game type also attracted much attention from players!

Because!

In most people's eyes, pixel graphics aren't suitable for storytelling.

Their visual expressiveness is too limited, which is very disadvantageous for emotional portrayal.

However!

This is a Golden Wind game!

This is the company that once broke millions of players with just a "Trust me."

Their control over game storytelling is top-tier in the industry.

So even with pixel graphics, players were still eagerly anticipating what new experience Golden Wind would deliver this time in what form.

And besides that!

The "mysterious guest performing the ending theme song" was also highly eye-catching!

An ending theme song!

This was a form never before seen in games.

Generally, it's already remarkable for a game to have a consistent theme song or soundtrack throughout!

Yet Golden Wind was actually including a dedicated "ending theme song" for a pixel-style game!

This was truly unprecedented in the gaming industry!

Amidst all this anticipation, the project's progress continued to advance rapidly!

Every day at work, Shen Miaomiao would lock herself in her office, communicating with various outsourcing departments, watching this project she personally oversaw gradually grow, improve, and take shape.

After returning home from work, Gu Sheng would help her organize related issues.

Whether during meals, by the sofa, or in the studio.

Whenever she had the chance, Shen Miaomiao would pull out the notebook she always carried and pester Gu Sheng with questions.

And after each problem was solved, besides recording the solution in her notebook, Shen Miaomiao would take a Polaroid photo of the two of them, calling it "documenting work processes"...

...

Time flew by in the blink of an eye.

February arrived.

Though the winter chill lingered, the CDEA's savage promotion kept the gaming circle boiling with excitement.

Players' enthusiasm for the upcoming charity week event grew exponentially!

Relevant media also began following up with reports, continuously compiling and releasing information about the upcoming charity week discount promotions!

Such as Fury Flame's "Blazing Speed Charity Bundle," Radiant's "Thrilling Gunfire Charity Bundle," Thunderclap's "Classic Collection Charity Bundle," etc...

Of course!

Besides these!

The most anticipated was naturally Golden Wind's upcoming new "Charity Game"!

Although!

The investment for this game wasn't large—just a small pixel-style game with about 500,000 in investment (not counting Shen Miaomiao's "Face Fruit" assistance).

But don't forget!

The CDEA had allocated 5 million in promotional funds specifically for its operation!

Backed by official media with ten times the promotional budget!

Even if it were just another Cat Mario 2, Golden Wind would still attract massive attention from the market and players!

In the blink of an eye, charity week launched!

8 PM!

Shark Platform!

Ayin's game livestream.

"Good morning, good morning..."

After his classic greeting regardless of actual time, Ayin checked the chat:

"What am I playing today? Haha, is that even a question? Look at what I'm holding!"

Saying this, Ayin waved the wireless elite controller in front of the camera.

The chat exploded with comments—

'Damn, boss came prepared today'

'The entire gaming section is flooded with charity week stuff'

'Charity week isn't the main deal, it's Golden Wind's new game that's hype'

'Start already! Can't wait!'

'Boss bringing out the elite controller is hilarious, isn't this supposed to be a story game?'

'Who knows how the old devil defines "story-driven"—Titanfall was technically story-driven too, remember getting wrecked by Viper?'

'"You can't hide, you can't escape..."'

'Ugh don't remind me, I almost threw up fighting Viper'

'LMAO maybe this is just Vampire Survivors with a story'

'Boss is just being prepared'

'...'

Amidst the chat's lively discussion!

Ayin opened Yiyou's official platform.

Click.

The platform loaded, immediately displaying a large [Charity Week Event] popup!

Clicking into the event page.

Ten participating manufacturers' bundles were displayed in dazzling array!

At the very top, the most prominent position on the page, was a game cover:

A vast starry sky with a bright moon, a lighthouse on the right emitting warm light that outlined two embracing silhouettes.

On the left side of the image was the game's title in fancy script—

"To the Moon?"

Ayin raised an eyebrow slightly:

"Looks like there really isn't any combat or anything, seems like just a... dating game?"

Though blurry, the two figures in the lighthouse could be recognized as a man and woman embracing.

A galgame (dating sim)?

But making a galgame with pixel graphics seems way too abstract?

After all, the essence of galgames lies in the "beautiful girls."

If it's just a bunch of pixels, who can tell if the girls are beautiful or not.

Ayin was confused, and viewers had never seen such a strange game either.

With these questions in mind, Ayin clicked purchase.

The price was very reasonable at just 15 yuan, same as Vampire Survivors before.

The file size was also small, just a few hundred MB for this pixel-style game.

In the blink of an eye!

The download completed.

"Alright, let's see what kind of game this really is..."

As he spoke, Ayin launched the game.

The screen went black as gentle, flowing piano music began playing.

The melody was soothing, with just two alternating main notes, yet miraculously inducing relaxation and comfort.

Like something natural, as clear and pure as a stream, flowing gently.

Hiss—

Ayin took a quiet breath.

As a professional game streamer, he'd played too many games.

Most game theme songs had no memorable qualities.

And almost no games used piano accompaniment.

Because in common perception, video games should be exciting, intense, electronic adrenaline.

Piano accompaniment clearly didn't fit this requirement, so most games with theme songs used electronic or heavy metal music.

But To the Moon was different!

Though the game hadn't even started yet.

Just the title screen's background music was enough to capture attention and calm hearts.

Thus.

The battle-ready Ayin gradually relaxed, finding a comfortable position in his gaming chair, one foot propped up, controller resting on his thigh:

"This game feels like it should be played quietly, let's check it out."

Click [Start Game].

With the soft, peaceful piano music, the game screen gradually brightened, like a curtain rising—

A vast sea, seagulls flying across the sky.

On the shore, a lighthouse watched over the sea, observing day and night, seasons changing, tides ebbing and flowing.

As the view gradually panned downward.

A large standalone villa stood on a hill, surrounded by blooming flowers, appearing peaceful and restrained.

In the villa's living room, two children sat at a piano.

One child was playing.

The piano music came from here.

However, just as everyone was immersed in the melody.

BAM!

Suddenly, a crashing sound came from outside the villa.

The music stopped abruptly, the two children turning toward the sound.

"Hey... don't scare me like this..."

Ayin instinctively pushed off, rolling his chair back half a step:

"Please don't tell me this is a horror game?"

Viewers laughed heartily—

'After playing PT, boss sees horror games everywhere'

'PTSD acquired'

'Who wouldn't be scared seeing this big villa'

'Shit! I wasn't even thinking that way! Now I'm remembering Lisa's creepy face...'

'Boss probably afraid of jumpscares'

'Relax, the old devil wouldn't stoop to such cheap scares'

'Sounds like a car crash'

'...'

Indeed.

At the mountain's base, by the roadside.

A black sedan was crashed into a tree, hood slightly raised, wisps of smoke rising.

"Damn, how do you crash on such a wide road, what kind of driving is this,"

Ayin laughed:

"Even Liu Liu wouldn't drive this badly, were you drunk or something, who was..."

Before he could finish.

The car door opened, two pixelated characters in white lab coats jumped out—a man and a woman.

The woman was [Dr. Eva Rosalene], now standing by the wrecked car with a mix of exasperation and complaint:

"Neil, where do you even look when you're driving?"

Facing this question!

Ayin froze.

Because he realized the male researcher was who he controlled!

"Oh—fuck me I was the one driving???"

Instantly, the chat exploded with laughter!

'And he was just laughing his ass off a second ago'

'How dare you mock Liu Liu with that driving skill?'

'Don't let this monkey near vehicles!'

'"Were you drunk or something"'

'...'

Ayin scratched his head, equal parts amused and helpless, pressing the controller to answer Dr. Eva:

"Oh... sorry, but I was just heroically trying to avoid a squirrel that suddenly appeared!"

Dr. Eva looked back at the thoroughly flattened squirrel on the road:

"...Great job. While you didn't avoid the squirrel, look on the bright side—at least our car didn't get away, right?"

Pfft—

Ayin couldn't hold back.

Damn that's savage, such sarcastic dialogue, exactly what you'd expect from the master of sarcasm himself.

Through conversation, Ayin learned that the Neil Watts he played and Dr. Eva Rosalene were from the same company.

Their company specialized in "memory traversal services."

Essentially deep dreaming.

Using specialized equipment, they could enter clients' minds, reasonably modifying and implanting memories to help fulfill wishes.

Currently, this technology was mostly used for terminal patients.

Its main purpose was helping these individuals fulfill uncompleted life wishes before death, allowing them to pass peacefully with happy endings.

And today!

They'd received a request from the owner of this hillside villa to fulfill his wish.

'Sci-fi setting? Interesting'

'Basically dream fulfillers, cool profession'

'The old devil always comes up with creative stuff'

'Head up the hill to meet the client'

'The client must be that embracing couple from the lighthouse'

'Probably, wonder what the wish is'

'Getting sad vibes'

'Huh? No way? Another tearjerker from the old devil?'

'Who knows...'

As they chatted!

Ayin, carrying heavy equipment, followed Dr. Eva up to the villa's entrance.

Knock knock—

They rapped on the door.

Moments later, the door opened.

A woman in an apron welcomed them inside with a gesture.

As Ayin carried the equipment inside, the screen gradually darkened—

[Chapter 1]

["I've never told anyone this, but... I always thought they were lighthouses"]

"You came so quickly, that's a huge help. I'm Lily, the housekeeper,"

The apron-clad woman named Lily seemed pleased to see them, then patted the piano-playing children's heads:

"These are my children."

"So our client is... your employer?"

Ayin asked.

"Yes, John is my employer," Lily nodded: "He's currently upstairs receiving treatment, please follow me."

Ayin and Dr. Eva exchanged glances before carrying their equipment upstairs.

As the adults went up, the two children ran back to the piano.

The gentle piano music resumed.

In the upstairs bedroom, they met their client—Old John.

Old John was in his late sixties, frail with age, lying in bed with a heart rate monitor beside him, looking in poor condition.

"How is he... doing?"

Ayin set up equipment while listening to Dr. Eva consult the doctor.

The heart monitor beeped steadily, like a life countdown.

The doctor shook his head: "Not good, maybe a day or two at most."

"That should be enough time,"

Dr. Eva turned to Lily:

"So what is his wish?"

Since Old John was too weak, barely kept alive by medical equipment, Lily had to convey the request.

After a moment's silence, Lily spoke:...

"The moon."

"What?" Dr. Eva didn't understand: "What about the moon?"

"He wants..." Lily said: "He wants to go to the moon."

[Old people these days are getting crazier by the minute, huh?]

In-game, Ayin's character Neil quipped.

In real life, Ayin also couldn't hold back:

"What? Huh? I thought this was a love story? Now this old coot wants to be an astronaut???"

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by lotustale.com