Closing time.
Qinran moved through the café methodically, shutting down the PCs one by one.
Click. Click. Click.
She reached the last one in the corner and paused.
…Hm.
A forum page was still open on the screen. Someone had left it up.
She glanced around. Empty. Nana had already left.
She sat down.
Oh.. a Developer forum?
She scrolled idly: general discussion, resource sharing, Q&A—
She clicked on Q&A.
I'm making a small RPG, but my collision detection keeps glitching — characters clip through walls randomly. I've checked the code but can't find the issue. Anyone know what's causing this?
She stared at it for a second.
…Tunneling Obviously if the theory is still same as i know
She looked around the empty café once more, then logged in with a new account and typed without thinking too hard:
"Probably your collision check is running once per frame instead of continuously. Fast-moving objects can pass through thin walls between frames — it's called tunneling. Try checking the velocity against wall thickness, or use smaller timesteps for the collision calculation. If that doesn't work, could you show the code?" (i have no idea about games if this is incorrect or not ^-^ )
She posted it, shut down the PC, and didn't think about it again.
A few days later, late at night, she noticed a reply from the same user:
"THANK YOU! That fixed it perfectly. By the way… if I run into any other problems, would you mind helping me out? Only if you have time, of course"
Qinran stared at the message for a moment.
She glanced at Luoli, who was busy demolishing a small stack of building blocks nearby.
The salary at the café was stable now, but stable wasn't the same as comfortable. This world was behind — she had knowledge here that felt ordinary to her but would feel extraordinary to everyone else.
She typed back slowly:
"Sure, I can help if I can What's the next issue?"
A few weeks later…
"Do you know about pathfinding AI?"
"Depends on what you're trying to do. What's the setup?"
"Grid based movement, but the characters keep taking weird routes around obstacles."
"A* algorithm. Look it up — it's the standard for grid pathfinding. I can walk you through it if needed."
"...you really know your stuff What do you do?"
"Internet cafe…" she replied casually.
The message paused for a moment.
"Unbelievable… bro, such skill and you're working in an internet café?"
Then a new message popped up:
"Hi [Luoli]… Salamander254 recommended you. I'm working on a visual project and need help with the UI system. Are you available for paid work?"
"Send me the details first " Qinran replied.
As if just waiting for these words the file appears
"Hey if you think you're up for this dm me then"
looks at the file reads through
"Building a small RPG game. Need a UI system — inventory screen, dialogue box, main menu, settings screen, health/mana bar display"
Qinran didn't reply immediately.
She opened the file again and read through it slowly.
Inventory screen.Dialogue box.Main menu.Settings screen.Health/mana display.
…Too vague.
She leaned back in the chair.
No resolution listed.No engine specified.No art direction.No target platform.
An unprofessional person it seems.
She typed.
"I can build those, but I'll need more details first.What engine are you using?Target resolution?PC or mobile?And do you have UI mockups or a visual style in mind?"
She hit send.
A minute later—
"Unity. 1920x1080 for now. PC. No mockups yet, still early stage."
She tapped her fingers on the desk.
Better.
At least he knew the engine.
Unity. PC. 1920×1080.
That simplified things.
But "early stage" meant unstable requirements.
She typed again.
"Alright. I can handle both design and implementation.
For UI, we'll need:
– A consistent art direction (fantasy? modern? pixel? semi-realistic?)
– Font preferences
– How the inventory should function (grid? list? drag-and-drop?)
– Whether dialogue supports branching choices
– If settings need save persistence or just placeholders"
She paused, then added:
"What's your budget range?"
"Budget around ¥2500, is that okay?" (idk how much is usally offered so consider this as low pay)
She stared at the number.
For five screens. Design and implementation both.
She did the math.
It was low.
For full UI design and implementation, it should be at least double.
Especially with no mockups.
Her fingers hovered over the keyboard.
This wasn't her world.
No portfolio.
No reputation.
No pricing benchmark.
Leverage came later.
Right now, she needed entry.
She typed:
"¥2500 is workable for a basic version.
That includes:
– Inventory (grid-based, no advanced animations)
– Dialogue system with branching support
– Main menu
– Settings with save persistence
– Health/mana UI
Any additional features or redesign requests will be discussed separately.
50% upfront before I begin"