Fifteen percent off.

Walking out of the sales office, Gu Sheng’s face was a little dark.

Originally, as the project manager, Peng Xiaopang’s highest discount authority was only ten percent off.

But during the price negotiation and contract signing process, Gu Sheng repeatedly caught the chubby guy glancing at his panda eyes with complicated eyes as if pretending not to notice.

They were almost about to pay the down payment, yet Peng Xiaopang still couldn’t hold back. He waved his hand, signaling to wait before paying. He wanted to call his father.

The chairman gave special approval.

Fifteen percent off.

It should be known that the house price was not entirely decided by the developer.

After approval by the price bureau, each house had a fixed price, with strict rules on how much it could fluctuate up or down.

Quite generous.

But Gu Sheng felt humiliated.

It felt as if he was taking a bullet for Peng Xiaopang.

“...Take care. If you have time later, let’s have a meal together.”

Peng Xiaopang personally saw them out of the sales office, standing at the door and shaking Gu Sheng’s hand:

“I wish you a lifelong marriage. Don’t forget to invite me when you hold the big wedding banquet. I’ll definitely attend.”

As he said this, Peng Xiaopang patted Gu Sheng’s hand, with a look that said ‘take care, brother.’

Damn it!

Xiaopang, you’re way out of line!!!

Gu Sheng almost lost his composure.

Our Little Nezha is just a little clumsy, a bit lazy, a little bit of a couch potato, mischievous, sometimes a little rough in play, a little scary on the Shudao Mountain trip... that’s all!

What kind of attitude is that!

Makes me feel like some demon hunter!

I! Am! Willing!

Am I not allowed to care for the common people?

Thinking this, Gu Sheng withdrew his hand and wrapped his arm around Shen Miaomiao’s slim waist, showing he was not threatened:

“Definitely, definitely. Then Peng will still be our honored guest.”

“Hahaha, good, good,”

Peng Qianqian laughed so hard his eyes almost disappeared, nodding repeatedly:

“Then I’ll wait for your good news!”

After parting ways, the house was finalized.

A 230-square-meter large flat, priced at 17,000 per square meter, totaling 3.9 million yuan.

After the fifteen percent discount, the total was just over 3.32 million yuan, with a fifty percent down payment. Sign the contract and wait for the house delivery at the end of the year.

On the lush green shaded promenade, the bright sunlight dappled like gold foil over the two of them.

Gu Sheng and Shen Miaomiao walked side by side, fingers intertwined, at a leisurely pace.

“Where to eat for lunch?”

Shen Miaomiao hopped, stepping through the mottled light on the ground.

“Not going home to eat?”

Gu Sheng’s hand was in his pocket, the other holding Shen Miaomiao’s hand, walking casually.

“What time is it now?”

Shen Miaomiao pulled Gu Sheng’s hand up to look at his Mickey Mouse wristwatch:

“Almost twelve o’clock. Let’s just eat somewhere nearby. I want to eat Jimmy rice!”

“Jimmy rice?” Gu Sheng didn’t understand.

“Jimmy rice!” Shen Miaomiao winked: “Braised Jimmy rice!”

“...Wow, that name is really...”

Gu Sheng whispered in amazement:

“The goat farted a sheep fart—both spicy and fancy.”

Thinking about it, the house didn’t have much food anyway, so he nodded:

“Alright, after eating, let’s go to the supermarket. Tonight, I’ll cook some kicked-up beef?”

“Yay!”

Shen Miaomiao raised her little fist in cheer and kicked her leg up to hook her foot:

“Kicked-up!”

She then shook Gu Sheng’s arm, signaling him to come with her: “You also have to kick. You have to kick to make good kicked-up beef.”

“What kind of weird saying is that?” Gu Sheng couldn’t help but laugh: “You have to actually kick to make kicked-up beef?”

“That’s how we say it in Sichuan and Chongqing!” Shen Miaomiao was firmly convinced: “Really!”

“I see...”

Gu Sheng acted like he had just learned something, nodding, and mimicked Little Nezha by hooking his foot:

“Kicking foot?”

“Hehe, yes, exactly like that,”

Shen Miaomiao giggled, pulling Gu Sheng and chanting a slogan:

“Ready, set! One, two, three, kicking foot! One, two, three, kicking foot! One, two, three...”

The two played happily, holding hands and marching.

They didn’t notice behind them, at the sales office door, Peng Qianqian was watching them leave, looking as if more than three hundred Medusas had all stared at him simultaneously, completely petrified.

His expression was one of “I don’t understand, but I’m totally shocked.”

For nearly half a minute!

Only after their figures completely disappeared did Peng Qianqian open his mouth, finally choking out:

“This really is... like two types of people in the same bed.”

...

The new house matter was settled, all that remained was to wait.

But waves in the gaming industry were rising day by day.

Next month on the 7th, Friday, at 8 p.m.

For most domestic game developers and studios, this was a taboo date in this quarter.

Usually, next month was when major studios would release new works in clusters at mid-year.

But this year, the situation was different—

Nuyan Game Studio.

Director Li Xiaofeng flipped through the calendar, looking at the date specially marked.

Using it as the midpoint, he marked a week before and after, then pondered:

“Is it too late to release this month?”

“Yes, Director,”

The marketing manager opposite him shook his head:

“This month’s release would be too rushed, but if we delay it... we’d clash with Zhenting’s new game. What do you think?”

“Let’s clash with Zhenting,”

Li Xiaofeng didn’t hesitate:

“Better to clash with Zhenting than with others. At least we still have a chance to compete...”

Guangyao Game Studio.

“Director Ding, about our release date...”

The assistant held a laptop, looking at the frowning Ding Kai with a questioning gaze:

“Should we adjust it and free up the 7th?”

“Hmm...”

Ding Kai behind the desk sighed irritably:

“Free up? That’s easy to say, but where would we move it? Moving forward would be too rushed and hurt promotion. Moving back would clash with Nuyan and Zhenting. Those two are already chaotic enough. If we join in, the cake won’t be enough to share...”

“Then... what if we push it further back?”

The assistant suggested:

“End of the month?”

“No,”

Ding Kai shook his head heavily, sighing:

“At the end of the month is Tianlang’s game release. They’re like our brothers. How could we...”

“Otherwise, we’d have to clash with Golden Wind.”

“...That would be like stabbing both brothers in the back.”

Exactly!

The reason all the major domestic game developers and studios avoided the date of the 7th next month was because last night!

Golden Wind finally announced the release date of Escape from Hell!

Exactly on the 7th of next month at 8 p.m.!

When the news came out, players rejoiced!

But it was tough for the rival companies!

After all, in today’s domestic game scene, who the hell dares to release a game simultaneously with Golden Wind?

No one can compete!

Now, Escape from Hell carried the halo of “the first domestic game to win a GDC award,” plus the heat brought by Plants vs. Zombies!

Who dares to clash with it?

If before, when clashing with Komera, Golden Wind was only half-risky,

Now Golden Wind was a smoking locomotive.

Don’t say blocking the road.

Every company wanted to dodge this bastard as far as possible, the farther the better!

Although!

Changing the release date last minute would inevitably affect sales and cause some promotional losses.

But!

Suffering some losses was better than death, right?

No one wanted to be the next Yamamoto Tsunashiro.

“...So that’s why on the 7th next month there is only one motion-sensing pod game released, and only five games in total that week?”

China Digital Entertainment Association!

Jiang Yingcai looked at the data report handed over by Assistant Xiao Zhao, his expression complicated.

This is just ridiculous!!!

Look! Look! What kind of abnormal data is this?!

In the first week of next month, only five games will be released nationwide, four of which are small games with budgets under 200,000 yuan, released on PC and mobile platforms.

On the 7th, the only motion-sensing pod game will be released, and it will also be the only large game with a total cost exceeding 100 million yuan that week.

Of course!

If it was just a single week with few releases, it could be considered a market winter.

But the problem is, just one week later, the second week, the game market will shift from winter to summer, jumping straight from midwinter to the hot dog days of June?

The second week of next month! A total of 28 games will be released nationwide, including two major motion-sensing pod games from Nuyan and Zhenting, with a total investment nearing 500 million yuan!

The third week! 35 games will be announced nationwide, with dozens of medium-sized studios like Qingniao Games, Qunfeng Games, Meiying Technology, Jifeng Studio, and Jiahua Games starting an all-out brawl!

The fourth week! The total number of games released will rise to 39. Meanwhile, two flagship studios under Xunteng Games—Guangyao Game Studio and Tianlang Game Studio—will face off in a brotherly showdown, waging war!

Five games released in the first week!

The other three weeks will release a combined total of 102 games!

Big studios fight each other, brothers tear each other apart!

Medium studios engage in a chaotic free-for-all, a complete mess!

And the root of all this!

Is because on the 7th next month, Golden Wind’s Escape from Hell will be released!

Jiang Yingcai’s scalp tingled involuntarily!

What kind of deterrent is this!

It was like a shark swimming into a goldfish pond!

Big and small studios alike desperately avoid Golden Wind—not because of heritage or size.

They all act like, “I can fight anyone, but absolutely not you.”

Watching this, Jiang Yingcai couldn’t help but laugh bitterly.

Just two or three years ago, Golden Wind was an unknown small indie company, even smaller than an average studio.

But now, one game from Golden Wind was enough to shock the entire Chinese gaming industry, making all domestic studios unwilling to compete head-on!

“When autumn comes on September eighth, after I bloom, all other flowers perish; the fragrance rises high, spreading through Chang’an—”

At this point!

Jiang Yingcai grinned and tapped the name of the deterrent game studio on the report:

“The entire city is clad in ‘golden’ armor...”

...

Knock knock!

Screech—

The prison gate opened.

Dappled warning-colored font appeared on the pitch-black screen!

[Escape from Hell]

“Hey Leo, you actually didn’t have any ‘plan’ to escape, did you?”

The cabin of an old small civilian airplane was a bit cramped.

Bearded Vincent sat on the long bench, slightly hunched, and asked.

“What are you talking about?”

Vincent’s words obviously made Leo anxious, as if pierced, he stammered embarrassedly:

“I do! Of course I have a plan!”

“But the problem is...”

Vincent shrugged ambiguously:

“Wasn’t the whole trip my idea?”

“Hey! Hey! Hey!”

Leo felt a bit wounded in pride:

“I rescued you, yes, I got you out of prison, okay?”

“No, definitely not,”

Vincent shook his head and corrected him:

“Not ‘you,’ but ‘we.’ We escaped together.”

“But if not for me, you’d still be stuck inside, okay, brother?” Leo argued, thinking he was the main hero.

Vincent calmly straightened his back: “But I saved your life twice.”

“Twice...”

The screen gradually darkened.

In the livestream room, a low magnetic voice sounded:

“Welcome everyone to watch the large-scale action crime interactive game movie jointly starring Ayin and Acui—Escape from Hell.”

“I am Ayin, playing Vincent.”

Then another voice: “I am Acui, playing Leo.”

After a pause.

“This is seriously... so damn awkward, huh?”

“I told you it was awkward, but you wouldn’t listen. I’m getting goosebumps.”

Self-introduction!

Self-roast!

Right at the start, the livestream room instantly exploded with lively noise!

“Hahaha, even the boss can’t handle it.”

“Didn’t think it was awkward before, but now it really feels like my toes are scratching the floor.”

“I’m literally a three-bedroom apartment.”

“Finally after months, we can jailbreak again!”

“It’s been months. Anyone here still without friends to play with?”

“Damn! Moderator, please ban this guy! So annoying, right?”

“Hahaha...”

“The main point is watching the livestream is like watching a movie, experiencing the atmosphere. Who doesn’t have two friends? (Sunglasses smile)”

“Take off your glasses and talk?”

“Wuwu, I really have no friends (crying loudly).”

“Don’t like watching the livestream? Use dual screens for a better movie experience!”

“So, this part on the plane means the two of them have already escaped?”

“Should be the ending, flashback?”

“Looks like it...”

“Happy ending! Big reunion ending! I love HE endings the most!”

“No kills! Everyone survives! Big reunion! Old Thief is awesome! Bring my coke and chips, eat with confidence!”

“Prison: Did you consider my feelings when you said HE?”

“Hahaha...”

“...”

Exactly!

On that Friday of this month!

At 8 p.m.!

With no competitors on the market, amid countless player expectations, carrying an unstoppable momentum and striding arrogantly among rivals!

Escape from Hell

Officially unlocked and released on Yiyou X2!

A thrilling jailbreak adventure!

Begins now!!!

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by lotustale.com