"I... Dad, you..."

Shen Miaomiao hesitated, stopped, then hesitated again, repeating this three times before finally asking uncertainly:

"You called me in the middle of the night just for this???"

"Yeah," Shen Wanlin replied matter-of-factly from the other end of the line: "Isn't this game from your company? Shouldn't your old man come to you if he can't pass a level?"

"Dad, we don't offer that kind of after-sales service,"

Shen Miaomiao's eyes practically rolled back as she gave an exasperated look that screamed 'unbelievable':

"Besides, this game was designed by Gu Sheng. If you have problems, you should ask him, why come to me?"

"Hey! What kind of talk is that!"

Old Shen immediately sounded displeased:

Huh?!

This statement instantly riled Shen Miaomiao up!

So you know it's inappropriate to disturb people's rest at this hour!

You won't bother him but have no problem treating me as your 24-hour customer service?!

"IIII DON'T KNOWWWW!"

Shen Miaomiao was so angry she practically saw stars. Fuming, she turned on speakerphone and shoved the phone into Gu Sheng's hands:

"Gu Sheng's right here! Ask him whatever you want! I'm going to sleep!"

Holy shit!

Gu Sheng nearly jumped out of his skin!

Little ancestor, what kind of phrasing is that?!

What do you mean by 'he's right here and I'm going to sleep'?!

People who know us understand we're just standing in the living room, but others might get the wrong idea!

"Uncle, we were just watching the game launch livestream in the living room to check player feedback,"

Gu Sheng quickly explained, afraid Old Shen might misunderstand:

"She's going back to her room to sleep now. Let me talk to you from the study."

"Ohhh, okay okay, as long as I'm not disturbing your rest,"

Old Shen chuckled:

"I tried your game, it's quite fun, but I can't get past this one level..."

From middle-aged men like Shen Wanlin to little kids like YiYi's age.

The cartoonish art style, simple and quick controls, varied strategies, and numerous mini-games with casual expansion gameplay.

Plants vs. Zombies instantly captured a large core audience upon release.

These players were either hardcore tower defense fans,

or loyal supporters of Golden Wind,

or diehard followers of major streamers and gaming platforms.

While this core audience might not seem large,

remember - from a communication perspective, every individual has a ripple effect within society.

They might be some kid's older cousin:

"Bro bro bro, what's this game called? Can I try? Let me play..."

"It's called Plants vs. Zombies. Put down that figurine first and I'll let you play."

"Okay! Okay!"

"Hey, not bad. Here, I'll start a new save for you to figure out..."

They might be some girl's close friend:

"Aww—this kitty is so cute! What game is this?"

"Plants vs. Zombies. This is the Cat Tail plant, but you only get it mid-to-late game."

"Where can I download this? I want to play too!"

"Here, I'll send you the platform link. Just search 'Plants' when you get in..."

They might be someone's playful father:

"Dad, I finished my homework!"

"Perfect, come beat this level for me. I need to sweep or your mom will yell when she gets back..."

They might be someone's 'game-addicted' child:

"You suck at this! If you'd listened to me and brought Cherry Bombs, you'd have beaten this level ages ago. Even I figured it out just watching."

"Dad please stop backseat gaming! I'll download it for you on your phone, okay? Please..."

They might even be strangers who happened to sit together on the subway:

"Uh... buddy, what game is that? I've been watching the whole ride but didn't want to ask."

"Oh this? Plants vs. Zombies. I downloaded it from the Yiyou mobile platform."

"Cool thanks man. Wanna add friends? I'm getting off soon."

"Sure, here's my platform ID."

"Got it. Talk later."

"Yeah, talk later..."

Unlike Titanfall's motion pod requirements or Escape's rating restrictions,

this universally appealing casual game spread across the globe like an unprecedented wave.

Thanks to dual-platform support, players could play a quick level on PC after school or sneak a few minutes on their phones during boring meetings.

From students to office workers, from kids to parents - everyone could play, everyone wanted to play!

A single swaying sunflower means little, producing only scant sunlight.

But when fields of sunflowers stretch to the horizon, the falling sunlight becomes a vast ocean, spectacular and awe-inspiring!

...

'15x return, hmm, fifteen times,'

'Calculating worst-case scenario with global sales of 750,000 copies,'

'That's $1.5 million in revenue,'

'Since this overseas launch involves multiple platforms, Yiyou agreed to reduce their usual 20% cut to 25%,'

'Meaning $1.5 million revenue becomes $1.125 million after cuts,'

'With $1.15 million in costs, that's a $25,000 net loss, 15x return equals $375,000,'

'Converted... about 2.7 million RMB!!!'

Not bad! A nice little windfall!

Friday evening!

Shen Miaomiao sat in the passenger seat of Gu Sheng's Navigator, sucking on a lollipop while calculating her profits, her slender white legs stretched across the dashboard with her bare feet tapping rhythm against the cool windshield to the radio's music.

Tonight, Plants vs. Zombies' first-week sales would be announced.

Though her planned 7+5 cycle still had five days left,

Shen Miaomiao decided to check the initial sales.

Because even if she didn't check today, tomorrow's media reports would tell her anyway.

Yes, Golden Wind wasn't what it used to be.

Even though Plants vs. Zombies was a small game, not even their current main project,

its sales would still attract media attention and coverage.

So she might as well lift the curtain herself.

Besides, even with the 12-day documentation, first-week sales could predict final numbers.

Time for some reassurance!

"What are you thinking about?"

Noticing Shen Miaomiao's silence, Gu Sheng glanced over at her.

"Good things!"

Shen Miaomiao smiled mysteriously:

"Very good things!"

If tonight's results were promising, in five days she'd receive at least 2.7 million RMB!

Is there any sound more pleasing than money coming in?

Is there anything more wonderful in the world?

No!

Humming happily, Shen Miaomiao was in great spirits.

Gu Sheng had no idea why she was so cheerful and smirked:

"Sitting like that, be careful of flashing someone."

Today Shen Miaomiao wore a silk pleated miniskirt that ended just above her knees.

Normally sitting wouldn't be a problem, but the little ancestor insisted on stretching her legs up, and with the breeze, her skirt kept fluttering dangerously.

Honestly, it was distracting Gu Sheng's driving focus.

For traffic safety, he had to remind her during a red light.

While outsiders couldn't see, it might cause dangerous driving.

However, seeing Gu Sheng's concern, Shen Miaomiao raised an eyebrow, her eyes curving into mischievous crescents: "Were you peeking?"

"Tsk, appreciating beauty!"

Gu Sheng corrected with a frown:

"A gentleman's gaze can't be called peeking!"

"Hmph! Even if you peek you won't see anything!"

Shen Miaomiao snorted proudly:

"I'm wearing safety shorts, ta-da!"

She started lifting her skirt to show him.

"Hey!"

Gu Sheng immediately grabbed her mischievous little hand, shocked:

"That's not appropriate!"

His heart pounded wildly.

The fluttering skirt was distracting enough, but now she wanted to show him her safety shorts?!

"You really don't treat me as an outsider!"

Gu Sheng glared at her, stopping her dangerous move.

"You don't treat me as one either,"

Shen Miaomiao shot back, glancing at Gu Sheng's hand on her smooth thigh, her cheeks slightly flushed:

"If not looking, now you're touching?"

"This is... emergency avoidance."

Gu Sheng awkwardly withdrew his hand, scratching his head.

Luckily, the light turned green and the car moved forward.

For a while, neither of them spoke, and the atmosphere turned a little tense.

Then—

Buzz buzz—

Gu Sheng's phone vibrated with an unknown number.

Answering via car speakers: "Hello? Who's this?"

A pleasant female voice came through:

"Hello Mr. Gu, I'm Yangyang from Binjiang Yuxi Real Estate. Sorry to disturb you."

"We've completed the showroom for the 230㎡ unit you were interested in. Would you have time to view it tomorrow?"

Gulp.

Gu Sheng's heart skipped a beat.

He'd decided to buy property before Escape from Hell was even approved.

Recently he'd been browsing good locations around Binjiang.

"Binjiang Yuxi" was one option he'd considered visiting.

But...

He still didn't know how to tell Little Nezha, nor how she'd react.

He'd planned to keep procrastinating.

But now—

One phone call forced him to face the guillotine.

"I'm... driving right now. I'll confirm with you later."

"Of course Mr. Gu. I won't disturb you further. Please call anytime. Drive safely, goodbye."

Click.

The professional agent hung up promptly.

The car grew even quieter.

After a long pause—

Shen Miaomiao spoke softly: "You're buying a place."

"...Yeah,"

Gu Sheng nodded stiffly, eyes fixed ahead—whether focused or avoiding her gaze was unclear:

"Still looking."

"Is this... a good project?" she continued.

"Not bad,"

Gu Sheng shifted uncomfortably:

"Good schools, hospitals, shopping... and not far from the office."

"Oh... I see..."

Shen Miaomiao nodded silently before asking:

"When... is the handover?"

"Year-end," Gu Sheng said: "That's why I wanted... to visit soon..."

"Oh... that's good..."

Shen Miaomiao pulled her legs down and turned to the window, falling silent.

The dark, quiet Navigator weaved through traffic as Gu Sheng expertly turned into Binjiang Yaju's complex.

Rumble—

The garage door rose as the car parked in its spot.

Vroom.

The engine cut off, interior lights came on as Gu Sheng unbuckled.

He opened his mouth but only managed: "...We're here."

Click.

Shen Miaomiao nodded, unbuckling too.

Just as Gu Sheng reached for the door—

Shen Miaomiao suddenly turned, leaning against her door.

Her smooth legs stretched out, bare feet crossing the console toward Gu Sheng:

"...My feet hurt."

Under the soft light, her slender calves were flawless, delicate ankles leading to rosy, soft feet with perfect arches like jasmine under moonlight.

Gu Sheng paused.

Then his large hands gently enveloped the delicate feet, massaging slowly.

Feeling the warm roughness, Shen Miaomiao shivered slightly, toes curling before relaxing.

"Why the sudden pain?"

Gu Sheng's fingers kneaded the softness gently.

"Because... I wore heels all day,"

Shen Miaomiao mumbled, fiddling with her skirt:

"I'm not used to heels."

"Then don't wear them," Gu Sheng smiled gently: "Do what's comfortable."

"Well..."

After a pause, Shen Miaomiao spoke again, peeking shyly at Gu Sheng:

"I'm also not used to eating alone."

Gu Sheng's hands stilled.

Their eyes met in silence.

Two seconds passed.

Then Gu Sheng smiled, capturing her other foot too:

"Then we'll eat together. Do what's comfortable."

Pfft—

Shen Miaomiao couldn't help giggling, biting her lip as her cheeks turned apple-red, wriggling her feet:

"That tickles..."

"Where? The top? Or soles?"

"Hey! Hahaha bad masseuse! Stop tickling! Let go..."

"Can't, the service isn't complete. Boss would deduct my pay!"

"I'll cover it okay? Hahaha I'll pay! Give me back my feet..."

In the quiet garage, light laughter echoed.

The dark Navigator sat parked as two figures playfully wrestled under the interior lights...

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by lotustale.com