"Love is a light, so wondrous,
Guiding us to the future we desire.
Magical aurora, a fantastical prophecy,
Quickly find that miraculous love.
Love is a light, so wondrous,
Illuminating the future of our courage.
Magical aurora, a legendary prophecy,
Turns out it's the gaze of lovers."
During the chorus, Yang Han's heavenly voice captivated the crowd, and Lu Duoduo and the others started nodding their heads to the rhythm.
"So beautiful! She really lives up to her reputation. Since her comeback, she's been churning out one hit after another."
"Our sponsorship was the right choice. Yang Han is definitely going to make it into the top three."
"Yang Han even overshadowed the Diva! She's so strong!"
"I heard the Diva's song, 'A Woman No Longer Young.' It's a bit old-fashioned. As a guy, I'd never listen to a song like that."
Ji Tienan was also quite satisfied after the performance.
"Sponsoring Yang Han was the right decision. Who are the top two? Does she have a chance to climb to number one? If she does, we should help boost her ranking."
Lu Duoduo shrugged. "I'm afraid not."
"Second place is Lin Qiqi with 'I'm a Girl'."
"First place is Deng Siqing with 'Crazy for Love'. Both songs were written by Da Fei, and their sponsors are both from *Audition Online*. Yang Han probably won't be able to surpass them."
Ji Tienan was stunned. The top two spots were sponsored by Da Fei's games, and the third place was taken by one of Da Fei's employees.
He's completely dominated the Golden Phoenix Goddess Chart!
"Never mind then. Third place still gets good exposure, right? The rest won't be as good?"
"Yeah, only the top three get significant exposure. The rest are far behind."
Ji Tienan nodded. "Third place is good enough. We originally estimated that after *Bright Sword* finished airing, our downloads would reach 700 to 800 million. Now it looks like we might even exceed that."
"Let's get some sponsors and invest more in advertising. We'll aim to break one billion in the first half of the year!"
"Long live President Ji!"
***
Zhang Yiran watched the chart as "Aurora" continued its meteoric rise, her face darkening to the point where it looked like it could drip water.
*It's fallen out of the top three?*
She hadn't paid much attention to Yang Han's song before; they weren't in the same genre. He had beaten her in "King of Singers" before, so she hadn't expected any surprises this time.
But against all odds, an unexpected twist had occurred.
Yang Han had actually overtaken her!
How could this song surpass her "A Woman No Longer Young"?
Zhang Yiran put on her headphones and listened again, her expression grave.
"Red, orange, yellow, green, blue—a colorful Aurora
Love is in the heart; believe, and it will exist
Red, orange, yellow, green, blue—a beautiful Aurora
Love is in the heart; believe, and it will last forever!"
When the song ended, Zhang Yiran remained deeply unsettled.
Though this song differed somewhat from Yang Han's usual lyrical style, it suited him perfectly.
*Where the hell is Da Fei getting all these songs from?*
This time, Da Fei had swept all three top spots on the Golden Phoenix Goddess Chart—it was utterly bizarre!
***
Liangyin Media.
Yao Qiang entered Lin Chudong's office, holding a report.
"Chudong, the ad campaign's been incredibly effective lately. Our active users have surpassed one million, and new user growth is skyrocketing. This month's net profit should exceed five million."
Yao Qiang was visibly excited. He hadn't expected the game to become such a massive hit.
Of course, the month's advertising campaign played a significant role.
The combination of *Longing for Rural Life* and the *Golden Phoenix Goddess Chart* had propelled the game to stardom, nearly rivaling the active user numbers of top-tier games.
Lin Chudong nodded. "Good. Any news from Chunting?"
He hadn't forgotten their previous conflict. He'd advised Meng Xin to smear *Audition Online*, and although the subsequent ad campaigns had recouped the losses, the matter wasn't settled. He needed to keep a close eye on their public image; he was determined to strike back.
"Actually, I do have some information," Yao Qiang said. "It seems Chunting's developing a single-player game."
"Last time, their *Fingertip Piano* performed poorly online, but after transitioning to a single-player format, it found unexpected success."
"So this time, they've gone straight for a single-player game and are planning to launch it on Steam."
Lin Chudong frowned slightly. "Do we know anything about the game's content?"
Yao Qiang shook his head. "Not yet. Should I try to dig up some information?"
Lin Chudong nodded. "Go ahead. If that doesn't work, I'll get you a camera and have you pose as a TV reporter."
"No need," Yao Qiang replied. "I have my own methods."
With that, he put on his jacket and left the office.
***
Spring Court Games.
The office buzzed with activity.
Fu Xiaochun said, "Let's pick up the pace. The Art Team needs to finish the character models tonight—you're our top priority this time."
"Xiao Zhang, did you manage to recruit the copywriter I asked for?"
Assistant Xiao Zhang replied, "President Fu, we have plenty of game copywriters, but your standards are high this time. I was planning to ask a writer from the Writers' Association to help. Since our game is story-driven, we need someone with exceptional skills."
Fu Xiaochun frowned. "Don't waste time. We can't let this delay our progress."
Just then, a young man walked in.
"Excuse me, are you still hiring?"
Xiao Zhang paused. "Are you here for the copywriter position?"
"Yes."
"Come in, then."
Fu Xiaochun sized him up, feeling a sense of familiarity, though he couldn't place where they might have met.
Xiao Zhang led him to the office for an interview.
Once they were seated, Xiao Zhang began the interview.
"What's your name?"
"My surname is Yao. Yao Qiang."
Xiao Zhang asked, "Do you have any experience in this field?"
"Yes," Yao Qiang replied, "I've been working at game companies for two years, writing copy. I also know how to code and have a basic understanding of art."
*Just bluffing,* Yao Qiang thought. *Since I'm not actually looking for a job, I can just make it up.*
After a thorough discussion, Xiao Zhang was thoroughly impressed with Yao Qiang. He seemed like a seasoned game industry veteran who could write code even if he wasn't working as a copywriter.
"What do you think of the salary and benefits?"
Yao Qiang nodded. "They seem quite satisfactory. Do you have any projects we could work on now?"
"Of course," Xiao Zhang replied. "That's why we're hiring so urgently. Let me show you around."
Xiao Zhang gave Yao Qiang a tour of the company and introduced him to their latest game.
While the project wasn't publicly announced yet, it wasn't a trade secret. Since Xiao Zhang was so impressed with Yao Qiang, he decided to let him see the company's current project.
"The project we're currently working on is a single-player game."
"It's called *Beauty's Rendezvous*, a story-driven interactive dating simulation. Players will have several female friends, and they'll make choices from a first-person perspective, with each decision altering the course of the narrative."
"So, there are two key aspects to this game: the art and the story. The girlfriends need to be drawn beautifully to attract players, and the story must deeply captivate them, making them feel the thrill of romance. If you join us, you'll be responsible for the story."
Yao Qiang nodded and casually looked around the office.
"Alright, I'll think about it," he said.
With that, Yao Qiang left the game company.
Fu Xiaochun came out and asked, "How did it go?"
Xiao Zhang replied, "He's a good candidate, but he didn't seem very interested after I explained the game."
Fu Xiaochun frowned. "Next time, don't reveal the game's specifics until after they've been hired."
"Understood, President Fu."
***
Back at the office, Yao Qiang relayed everything he'd seen.
"Their Art Team is impressive. The female characters they've drawn are quite striking. It seems this time the target audience is likely male."
Since the launch of *Audition Online*, it had almost completely monopolized female users. The gaming market already had a scarcity of female players, and now they were all flocking to *Audition Online*. This meant there was no point in considering that market segment.
Lin Chudong nodded, deep in thought.
"Alright, I understand. We'll develop a similar game ourselves. Contact me immediately if you hear anything."
"Sure thing."
Since the development of *Audition Online*, Yao Qiang's opinion of Lin Chudong had changed significantly.
Though not a veteran of the gaming industry, Lin Chudong's creative prowess in game design was truly astonishing.
Combined with the celebrity endorsement effect, promotion would be a breeze. Even if they ventured into another game, Yao Qiang had unwavering confidence in Lin Chudong.
He went to Liang Yin's office to discuss the relocation.
Though reluctant to leave, Liang Yin eventually agreed.
"Da Fei, now that we're settling in Beijing, should we buy an office building?"
Lin Chudong paused. "Given our current financial situation, buying might be a bit of a stretch, don't you think?"
Liang Yin said, "I've been looking, and there are many garden-style detached office buildings, around 3,000 square meters. We can afford those."
Buying a large office building was out of the question. Given current Capital real estate prices, a single building would cost over a billion yuan.
Besides, they wouldn't need a space that large.
There was no point in spending a fortune to buy a massive building only to lease it out.
Liang Yin was particularly fond of the garden-style detached office buildings.
The smaller ones, around 3,000 square meters, would cost between 50 and 60 million yuan and could easily accommodate 200 to 300 employees.
Even if the company expanded further, that should be sufficient.
The larger ones, 5,000 to 6,000 square meters, would cost over a hundred million yuan.
Lin Chudong glanced at the listings Liang Yin had found.
"These do look good. But we shouldn't put all our money into property right away. Let's rent first."
"Negotiate with the owner of this 5,000-square-meter building. See if we can rent it for a year. If things go well, we can consider buying it later."
Liang Yin nodded, agreeing with the idea. "Renting for a year would be perfect to assess the environment and building quality. If it's good, we could definitely consider buying it."
She felt a thrill just thinking about it. This time last year, she only had her music studio and house. Now, she was even daring to consider a commercial office building in the Capital.
"I withdrew some funds to pay off the loan."
Liang Yin withdrew five million yuan. She paid off the three million yuan mortgage on the house in one lump sum and kept the remaining two million for daily expenses.
Now that she was a business owner worth over a hundred million, it was time to elevate her lifestyle.
Lin Chudong nodded. "Before we leave, I'm planning to develop another game."
Liang Yin blinked in surprise. "Another game? Hasn't Director Sun been pressuring you?"
"Not yet. He's not in a hurry. This is a small-scale project, but I'll need your help."
Liang Yin stared, pointing at herself. "Me? What could I possibly do?"
"Want to be a Flying Girl?"
***
In the afternoon, a new producer from Beijing TV called.
"Hello, Da Fei, right? My name is Bao Shulong from Beijing TV."
"I'll be taking over *Longing for Rural Life* from now on. I wanted to connect with you, since you're the director of the show."
Lin Chudong replied, "Okay, feel free to share any ideas you have with me."
Bao Shulong smiled. "Taking over such a popular show puts a lot of pressure on me. My thought is, with the show's success, having only one sponsor seems a bit too few. I need to hit my performance targets, you know?"
"So I wanted to discuss bringing in a few more sponsors with you."
Lin Chudong smirked. *As expected, a new regime means new policies. The moment the leadership changes, the benefits change too.*
When Sun Xuan was in charge, he had promised that beyond the exclusive sponsor, there would be only one mobile phone sponsor.
The more sponsors there were, the worse the show would naturally perform.
Such matters never made it into the contract; they were merely Sun Xuan's verbal assurances.
Fortunately, Lin Chudong had already prepared for this.
"You don't need to discuss the sponsors with me. What are your plans for the artists?"
Bao Shulong said, "Heh, I've contacted the guests. We're planning to invite some top boy and girl groups. All young, handsome, and beautiful—the audience will definitely love it."
Lin Chudong remained silent for a moment before replying, "In that case, I won't get involved in the show anymore. I only want exclusive naming rights, and I won't be appearing on the program. You can handle all the arrangements."
"Alright, I'll take care of the rest," Bao Shulong agreed.
After hanging up, Lin Chudong informed Liang Yin.
Liang Yin scoffed, "Beijing TV is so ungrateful! Would this show have become popular without us? Now they're kicking us to the curb after we've served our purpose."
Lin Chudong explained, "They didn't explicitly say they wanted me off the show, but with a new producer in charge, I'd have to get his approval for everything from now on. I'd be too restricted and it would become boring."
"Besides, I don't get paid for appearing on the show anyway. Exclusive naming rights are enough."
The exclusive naming rights were contractually binding. While Lin Chudong hadn't paid cash, he had covered the production costs for the first few episodes, which was essentially a financial contribution. Beijing TV wouldn't dare break the contract.
Liang Yin asked, "Without you guys, will the show even stay popular?"
Lin Chudong shrugged. "Who knows? They've already built a pretty solid foundation. Even if it doesn't become a hit, it should at least last until the end of the season."
Having been warned by Sun Xuan, Lin Chudong had already anticipated this outcome.
Liang Yin said, "Then we'll drop this project. What did you mean when you said you wanted me to be a 'Flying Girl' earlier?"
"I'll write up a proposal and show it to you later," Lin Chudong replied.
He returned to his office, closed the door, and sat down in his chair, closing his eyes.
The Advancement Card had failed him again. None of the skills it had revealed were worth upgrading. He decided to save it for next time, hoping to get a better skill. Plus, next time he was guaranteed another Advancement Card, three combined might finally push a good skill to the Hall of Fame level.
He used the Random Upgrade Card.
Pet Training Master Level upgraded to Pet Training Grandmaster Level.
Lin Chudong: ...
He just couldn't get past the Pet Training hurdle.
Did he really have to upgrade it to the Hall of Fame level?
Still, he couldn't say the skill was useless. Last time, facing the wolves, it might have saved him from real danger.
Oh well, it was better than nothing. If the entertainment industry didn't work out, he could always get a job at the zoo.
He used the Random Upgrade Card again.
Advanced Painting upgraded to Master-Level Painting.
This skill was still quite useful; he could use it for game development in the future.
Next, he used a Memory Search Card, opened his computer, and his fingers flew across the keyboard.
Within an hour, he had written a marketing plan.
He printed two copies: one for Liang Yin and one for Yao Qiang.
When Yao Qiang received the plan, he looked utterly bewildered.
Having been immersed in games for years, he had seen and played every kind imaginable.
Even *Audition*, a niche music rhythm game, was something he had encountered before.
But the game concept Lin Chudong had written was a completely new territory for him.
"Is this an interactive game?"
"More accurately, it's a live-action interactive game," Lin Chudong replied. "It's in the same category as Chunting's games."
Yao Qiang frowned deeply. "They're in the same category, yes, but they use animation while we use live-action. Both are romance games, but..."
Yao Qiang was genuinely worried.
"First, this genre is very niche in the market. The user base isn't large. While competition is low, there are simply fewer players."
"Secondly, the target audience for this type of game are otaku. They prefer anime to beautiful women. I've seen the original artwork Chunting and the team created—it's high quality and perfectly aligns with otaku aesthetics. I don't think this strategy will work."
"Finally, there's the pricing. Even the most successful games in this genre don't sell particularly well. To be honest, even with all our effort, we might not make much profit."
Yao Qiang currently manages *Audition*, which generates millions in profit each month. He doesn't really care for this type of game.
Why go through all the trouble of developing something that might only yield a few hundred thousand in profit? It would be a waste of time.
Lin Chudong smiled. "Don't worry. If I'm confident enough to pursue this, it's because I'm aiming for a massive hit."
"There's nothing like this on the market. A completely new, groundbreaking game like this will definitely sell like hotcakes."
"Besides, this game requires no ongoing operations. After a one-time development effort, we can just sit back and collect the money."
"This time, you'll still be responsible for the code and art assets. I'll handle the game content production."
Yao Qiang frowned slightly, still harboring many concerns, but since Lin Chudong had already said so, he didn't feel he could object.
Since Lin Chudong was taking on the most difficult part of the game, Yao Qiang only had to do some coding and art, which wouldn't take more than a few days.
*It won't require much effort anyway, so why not give it a shot? Maybe my celebrity status will make the game a minor hit.*
However, he wasn't optimistic about using this game to compete with Chunting.
*Once the game is released, let's at least break even. Consider it a trial run for the company.*
Liang Yin held the script, her expression shifting between worry and determination.
"Da Fei, I... I can handle this, right?"
Lin Chudong nodded. "This game is counting on you."
Liang Yin looked uncertain.
"What's the game called?"
"It's called *Oh No! I'm Surrounded by Beautiful Girls*."
-----------------------
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