Chapter 21: We’re Rich!
At noon, a famous blogger on a certain platform posted a gameplay video of an indie horror puzzle game. Within an hour, the video had over a million views and topped the trending charts on multiple platforms. The year 2018 was still a blue ocean for the self-media industry, and sharks, smelling blood, swarmed in. By 5 p.m., many first- and second-tier gaming YouTubers had also uploaded review videos of the game. The titles were eye-catching: “A Domestic Masterpiece!”, “A New Form of Horror, A Return to Chinese Horror!”, “The First Dark Horse of the Year? Who is Eternal Joy Studio?”
Society was a giant machine made of gears, the connections between industries much closer than ordinary people imagined.
Lu Li had contacted these self-media professionals as early as last year. At that time, they didn’t have established teams behind them. Many gaming YouTubers were driven by pure passion. Lu Li’s information didn’t sink into oblivion, but caught the attention of several influential media figures. His game’s quality far exceeded that of ordinary indie games. Good wine needs no bush, and after several email exchanges, they all agreed to make a review video after the game’s release. Lu Li left the specific details of the collaboration to Chen Jianing. This girl’s understanding of online subculture was profound, allowing her to easily grasp what resonated with players—as long as she didn’t have one of her episodes.
Although Lu Li’s horror game wasn’t large in scale, it was exquisitely crafted. The script he personally wrote, the music composed by An Baili and Chu Jingyi, and the character designs by the top artist Wen Hupo, all represented the pinnacle of indie game development. Of course, he had also made a backup plan in case the game flopped. After the New Year, he contacted Long Jing and asked her to record a few children’s songs. He deliberately placed these highly infectious songs in the final chapter of the game, amplifying the emotional impact of the climax to an unparalleled level.
By 1 p.m., posts about the game started appearing on forums. The first players to complete the game were enthusiastically recommending it to others, some even asking for the original versions of the children’s songs in the ending.
The first-day sales target for an indie game was 100,000 copies. Breaking through this number meant the game had a chance to go viral.
By 3 p.m., Lu Li’s game had already sold 10,300 copies, and the sales figures were still rising rapidly. The sales would reach another peak during the evening rush hour.
Lu Li skipped his afternoon classes and stayed in the activity classroom, watching the computer screen, holding his breath, not daring to relax. He could pretend to be calm in front of the girls, but he was just an ordinary person. How could he truly remain unfazed in the face of such pressure?
Sister Yameng suddenly called. Her voice was filled with urgency and concern. “Little Li, what are you doing?! Don’t do anything stupid! Where are you now?!”
Lu Li took a deep breath, his eyes fixed on the rapidly increasing numbers on the screen. “Sis, I’m at school.”
“You’re lying!” Sister Yameng interrupted him, her voice unusually sharp. “Little Li, we don’t need money! Don’t do anything impulsive! I checked my phone after training and found dozens of transfer notifications… Over 300,000… 300,000 yuan! Little Li! Where are you now?!”
Lu Li was still a minor, so he had used Sister Yameng’s bank account for the game’s revenue.
Lu Li had anticipated this. Sister Yameng had never seen such a large sum of money, so it was normal for her to overreact. He chuckled. “Sis, we’re rich!”
“Little Li!” Sister Yameng yelled. “Run! I don’t know what illegal things you’ve done, but run before the police find you! Run anywhere! Hide! I’m taking leave and coming back to Chuanhai to find you!”
Sister Yameng actually thought he had done something terribly wrong. What surprised Lu Li even more was that her first reaction was to tell him to run and hide, even willing to break team rules and return to Chuanhai.
He felt tears welling up in his eyes. He thought of all the years his sister had worked so hard, the times they had secretly taken part-time jobs, and how he lied about his age to the boss when he was fourteen. He remembered many things, and forgot many things, but the warmth in his heart grew stronger and stronger.
In his past life, his sister never got to see him succeed. His first game was a failure, and his entrepreneurial ventures after graduation were difficult. By the time he could finally say proudly, “Sis, I’ll take care of you,” Sister Yameng had already passed away. What about this life…?
His voice was gentle and low. “Sis, it’s just that my game was released.”
“…Take all the cash at home and go find Coach Dan—wait, what did you say?” Sister Yameng was stunned.
“My game was released. That money is the revenue from my game.” He patiently explained again.
“You’re kidding, right? You can make money from playing games?”
“Not playing games, making games.” He explained tirelessly. “And this amount will continue to increase over the next month. Sis, you have to be mentally prepared.”
“…” The hurried footsteps on the other end of the phone stopped. It took Sister Yameng a while to recover. “You’re saying… that’s the money you earned?”
“Yes.”
“…Sob…” He heard his sister crying on the phone.
“Sis…”
“…Sob… sob… Doesn’t this make me look like a fool…” Sister Yameng’s voice choked with emotion. “…Like a fool… I was so worried about you… Little Li…”
“A foolish sister and a foolish brother, a perfect match.”
Zou Yameng was sobbing softly. Lu Li couldn’t tell if it was more from joy or sorrow. The complex emotions were like thorns and roses intertwined, indistinguishable. Perhaps she was happy, happy for Lu Li’s success, happy for his words “We’re rich!” Perhaps she was sad, a mother’s sorrow as she watched her child leave, filled with endless helplessness and longing.
This is so good… so good… She wiped away her tears, not wanting her teammates to see them. Little Li had grown up, truly grown up. She didn’t have to worry about him anymore… She was just a foolish older sister…
“I’ll, I’ll keep the money safe for you.” Zou Yameng’s voice trembled, showing how shocked she was. “You should keep the money you earned…”
Actually, it was because Lu Li didn’t have a bank card, but he wouldn’t spoil the mood by telling her the truth. “That’s the betrothal gift for Sister Yameng.”
Her heart skipped a beat, then a wave of ecstasy washed over her. Her heart pounded as if it would burst out of her chest, her tongue tied. “Then, then I’ll hang up now… Mmm…”
With a beep, Sister Yameng hung up the phone. The last thing Lu Li heard was a soft moan.
Lu Li stared blankly at his phone. It was an old phone he inherited from Sister Yameng. Through the pink casing, he could almost see her athletic and youthful body, her happy and gentle smile. This was good.
This was good.
Being reborn, it was good.
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