Agreed to make bad games, What the Hell is Titan Fall 111
by admin## Chapter 111: Happy New Year, I Said
“See ya, Shengzi Ge, Happy New Year…”
“Happy New Year, have a safe trip.”
“Bye Director Gu, see you after the new year…”
“See you then, give my regards to your parents.”
“I’ll bring some tea cakes when I come back, gotta go, Shengzi Ge…”
“Ok, Happy New Year.”
“…”
In a blink of an eye, the New Year was upon us.
Following the Golden Wind holiday notice, all development data for the Titanfall project was forcibly sealed from the beginning of the first day of the Lunar New Year. All project department employees went on vacation until the eighth day of the Lunar New Year. This was a full seven days of holiday, without any borrowing or adjusting of days.
The Operations Department, however, needed to handle some online issues. Therefore, they implemented a rotating shift system with triple pay for working on holidays, allowing them to work from home.
Of course, it was said that everyone was off on the first day of the Lunar New Year.
However, Shen Miao Miao had already waved her hand and let everyone go starting from New Year’s Eve.
“Hey, who wants to work on the 30th? Go home if you want to go home, go back to your hometown if you want to go back to your hometown!”
So, by noon, almost everyone had left the company. People came to say goodbye to Gu Sheng, happily heading home for the New Year.
For a moment, the usually bustling company fell silent. Only the sound of the three brothers’ voices could be heard from the Director’s office –
“…Do you have more dipping sauce, give me some more.”
Gu Sheng sat on the couch, using a dumpling to wipe the dipping sauce from his vinegar dish before sending it into his mouth.
“You’re not drinking the dipping sauce, are you, bro?”
Lu Bian was speechless and, together with Da Jiang, divided the dipping sauce from their small dishes and gave some to Gu Sheng.
The three of them were eating dumplings together. It was their annual tradition since they had met in university.
Actually, it wasn’t really the three of them eating dumplings, but rather Lu Bian and Da Jiang keeping Gu Sheng company while he ate.
They had their families waiting for them at home for dinner, even if they didn’t have lunch together. A family enjoying a joyful New Year’s Eve meal.
But Gu Sheng was different. He didn’t have any family. His household register only had one page; his KaZix had a passive that was always active.
Gu Sheng always used this kind of hell joke to mock himself.
But every time they heard it, Lu Bian and Da Jiang couldn’t laugh. They couldn’t understand how Gu Sheng had been alone all these years.
All they could do was have dinner with Gu Sheng every New Year’s Eve, so he wouldn’t be so lonely on this night.
After they finished eating and chatting for a while, they drove Da Jiang to the station.
After waving goodbye, Lu Bian went back to the company with Gu Sheng, and the two of them entered the sensory pods to play a “Sweet Double Queue” match.
It has to be said, games are best played with friends.
Women will only slow down your drawing speed.
The two of them were old online game addicts and also game developers, so they were masters when it came to playing their own game.
They treated the company like an internet cafe, since no one else was around. They matched, queued, and played all afternoon.
Da-da-da-
With Gu Sheng’s final burst of bullets, the last lone wolf became a box.
[Victory Royale, dinner chicken tonight] appeared on the settlement screen.
“What the… We’re in Bronze 1, old Gu!”
Lu Bian’s voice was filled with surprise:
“We’re so awesome! Becoming a silver expert is just around the corner!”
“Of course!”
Gu Sheng was also happy:
“We’re only three thousand points away from the god of war!”
“We two brothers!” “Invincible!”
The two noobs cheered joyfully.
Time flew by.
Night fell in a blink of an eye.
“Come home with me for the New Year?”
With Gu Sheng’s help, Lu Bian packed his backpack, put his laptop containing documents inside, turned around and asked Gu Sheng.
“You’ve asked for six years now, don’t you get tired? I’m not going,”
Gu Sheng patted Lu Bian’s shoulder:
“Give my regards to your parents,”
“Go away, buddy, I’m going to savor my solitude.”
“You…”
Lu Bian looked at Gu Sheng’s carefree attitude, his mouth opened and closed:
“You idiot.”
Then, he waved to Gu Sheng, walked towards the company door: “Happy New Year!”
“…Happy New Year.”
At 7:30, the news program had just finished airing, night had completely fallen, and the company was completely silent.
Today was the 30th of the Lunar New Year. Everyone from both the project department and the operations department had gone home to celebrate the New Year.
As for Little Nezha…
She only showed up in the morning. She didn’t stay in the company for even half an hour, before dragging Chu Qingzhu away.
Gu Sheng sat in his office, his ears filled with an empty silence, feeling a bit lost.
“BT.”
He called out BT, and a deep, rich electronic synthesized male voice sounded from the intelligent speaker on his desk.
Yes, Gu Sheng had renamed his intelligent speaker BT, and even changed its voice.
“Hello Sam, I am BT-7274, you can call me BT, what can I do for you?”
“Play a New Year’s Overture.”
Gu Sheng wanted to find some New Year’s atmosphere.
However, with the festive and lively melody of the New Year’s Overture, Gu Sheng didn’t find any New Year’s atmosphere, instead, he felt even more lost.
The joyous music echoed through the empty company. Gu Sheng, bored, stood up and walked to the recreation area, starting to grab lollipops.
Click.
Click.
Click.
He didn’t know if it was because his hand was not in the right state today, or if the new batch of lollipops came with slicker packaging. Gu Sheng seemed to have lost his former skill and was repeatedly failing to grab lollipops.
However, just as Gu Sheng hesitated whether to steal two snack tokens from Lu Bian’s office, he suddenly heard the rumbling sound of the company’s electric door opening in the corridor.
“Hmm?”
Gu Sheng was a little confused.
He walked away from the claw machine and into the corridor.
He saw Shen Miao Miao standing at the company’s door, looking shocked and a little panicked.
Their eyes met.
Shen Miao Miao took a step back:
“You… who are you celebrating with???”
Shen Miao Miao was a bit scared.
The huge company!
The empty corridor!
The sound of the New Year’s Overture echoing throughout the building!
And Gu Sheng, like a lonely ghost wandering around the company, stood at the end of the corridor, quietly looking at her!
In an instant!
The eerie feeling of a Chinese horror movie was in full effect.
Shen Miao Miao felt a chill go from the soles of her feet all the way up to her scalp. Her back was cold!
Looking at Shen Miao Miao’s frightened expression, Gu Sheng feigned a confused expression:
“Me? I’m celebrating with everyone else…”
As he spoke, Gu Sheng raised his hand and waved to Shen Miao Miao behind her: “Hey hey, Happy New Year, Happy New Year, we’ll all eat dumplings together later!”
My! God!
Shen Miao Miao turned her head to see that there was no one behind her. She felt her scalp about to explode!
She wrapped herself tighter in her milky white down jacket, looked at Gu Sheng, her voice trembling:
“Ah… You… who are you talking to???”
“Old Song, the one upstairs in our building…”
Halfway through!
Gu Sheng’s voice stopped abruptly!
Then!
His eyes suddenly became sharp and dark!
His scrutinizing gaze, like sharp daggers, pierced Shen Miao Miao’s heart!
“Wait… you…”
Gu Sheng spoke, while moving slowly towards Shen Miao Miao:
“You can’t see everyone…?”
“Ah—???” Shen Miao Miao felt her legs go numb. She stumbled backward and pressed herself against the wall.
By this time, Gu Sheng had reached her.
“I said…”
Gu Sheng’s eyes narrowed slightly.
Then, he suddenly shouted!
“You stepped on Old Song’s foot!!!”
“Ahhhhhhhh-!!!”
Shen Miao Miao exploded. She grabbed the two buns on her head, cried and crouched down, curling herself into a small snowball:
“Woo-hoo-hoo sorry… I didn’t mean to… I really can’t see… I just came back to get my package…”
“I didn’t know you guys were having a party… woo…”
“Please… have mercy…”
Looking at Shen Miao Miao, trembling and huddled on the ground, Gu Sheng finally found real amusement on this sad and lonely New Year’s Eve.
Then, as expected, he was beaten up.
Gu Sheng didn’t mind.
He was ready for the beating since he dared to be a little foolish.
But…
“Hiss… Shen Miao Miao, you’re too cruel…”
Sitting on the long bench in the rest area, Gu Sheng winced and covered the two deep teeth marks on his wrist:
“You’re a dog, aren’t you? You bite so hard. If you bite any deeper, I’ll have to get a rabies shot.”
“You deserve it!”
Shen Miao Miao stood in front of the claw machine, excitedly moving the joystick, continuing Gu Sheng’s unfinished business of grabbing lollipops:
“I’m already being merciful.”
As she said this, Shen Miao Miao pouted, slapped the claw machine: “You go! I can’t catch them!”
Gu Sheng: ???
He raised his hand: “I’m injured?”
“Persisting in working while sick shows your loyalty,”
Without saying anything, Shen Miao Miao went forward and forcibly pulled Gu Sheng up:
“And you have to compensate me for my emotional trauma.”
Gu Sheng clicked his tongue: “That’s so unreasonable…”
Seeing Gu Sheng wanting to reason with her, Shen Miao Miao didn’t argue, she simply pouted, her little pearls began to gather in her eyes, and she used the power of tears: “Wah…”
But Gu Sheng was not a weak and useless person. He immediately stood up and gently patted Shen Miao Miao’s mouth.
For a moment, Shen Miao Miao’s original mournful and wronged cries turned into “Waw-waw-waw-waw-waw…”
It sounded like a cannibalistic tribe was about to have a meal.
Gu Sheng laughed, and Shen Miao Miao couldn’t hold it in anymore. She was both angry and amused. She grabbed Gu Sheng and was going to give him another beating:
“You’re a dog, Gu Sheng—!!!”
In the joyful rhythm of the New Year’s Overture, the two played hide-and-seek in the huge recreation area.
Of course.
In the end, Gu Sheng grabbed the lollipops for the little Nezha who had been exhausted from trying.
It was strange.
The grabbing that had failed several times before, this time was successful in one go.
“Alright, soothe your inner pain,”
Taking the lollipops out of the delivery slot and handing them to Little Nezha, Gu Sheng said:
“Take your package and go home. It’s almost eight o’clock, your dad must be worried.”
Hearing this, Shen Miao Miao paused slightly, with her lollipop-sucking mouth, rolling her eyes:
“Him? He’s waiting for me like hell! He has another gathering this year, I’m alone for the New Year…”
Gu Sheng was stunned.
He didn’t expect that he wasn’t the only one savoring solitude on New Year’s Eve.
But it made sense.
Shen Wanlin, such a powerful business elite, with such a vast network of connections.
To reach that level, he was no longer just a businessman. It was normal for him to be busy with social gatherings all year round.
Looking at the Little Nezha who was experiencing the same loneliness, then thinking about himself, who would be facing a boring New Year’s Eve alone at home.
Gu Sheng opened his mouth, as if he wanted to say something.
But before he could speak, he heard Shen Miao Miao say first: “Why don’t we go set off fireworks?”
Shen Miao Miao knew Gu Sheng’s family situation.
Not just Gu Sheng, she knew the family situation of every person in the company.
Looking at the mischievous light in Shen Miao Miao’s big eyes, Gu Sheng cautiously took a step back:
“That look in your eyes… I’m hesitant to agree.”
“Oh—you’re always so suspicious of people!”
Shen Miao Miao stretched out her hand, grabbed Gu Sheng’s clothes and shook them:
“It’s just setting off fireworks, I’m not going to tie you up and send you up to the sky with a skyrocket, right?”
“You never know…”
Gu Sheng frowned:
“Tell me the truth, if you tell me the truth, I’ll go with you.”
“Hey… you…”
Shen Miao Miao pursed her lips, a bit embarrassed, she scratched her head:
“Just a second.”
As she said this, Shen Miao Miao turned and went back to her office. Before long, she came out with a package.
She opened the packaging, and inside were all kinds of small air fireworks.
Pop!
Shen Miao Miao pressed one and shrank her neck:
“I originally bought these to replace fireworks and get a thrill,”
“Because those big fireworks… I’m scared to set them off,”
“I’m scared…emmmm…”
“I’m scared I’ll blow myself up.”
What?!
The pain of the truth was suffocating Gu Sheng!
“So…”
Gu Sheng widened his eyes in shock, speechless!
“You’re going to use me as a sacrifice???”
“Um… hehe…”
Shen Miao Miao gave an awkward but polite smile:
“It shouldn’t… be so easy to blow someone up, right? After all, it’s fireworks, not landmines…”
“Besides, our company’s five insurances and one fund are all paid at the highest level,”
“Your medical insurance card has a lot of money in it.”
Looking at Little Nezha’s sincere and simple silly smile, Gu Sheng felt his heart ache.
Damn it.
He met the living King Yama.
Her limit was that she could blow up my medical insurance card until it’s overdrawn.
“What do you think?”
Seeing that Gu Sheng was clutching his chest and didn’t speak, Shen Miao Miao went forward and looked at Gu Sheng with expectant eyes:
“Big fireworks, oh, they’re so pretty!”
What else could Gu Sheng say!
…
Crackle-pop!
With the first string of Big Earth Reds exploding in the fireworks concentration area by the Haijiang River, welcoming the new year.
Shen Miao Miao excitedly covered her ears and watched Gu Sheng run back after the celebratory explosion, giggling.
On the side of the road next to the fireworks area, a wine-red Porsche and a gold-black Navigator parked facing each other.
Between the two cars, there were various fireworks piled up as high as a person, attracting the attention of people around them.
The Big Earth Reds were like the opening prelude.
As the firework curtain opened, clusters, masses, and strings of fireworks shot up into the sky, blooming in the air.
The colorful light interacted with the vast waters of the Haijiang River.
Across the river, the city was brightly lit and bustling.
Red and yellow colors intertwined, making the atmosphere of the new year even more intense.
The ferry, twinkling with “Happy New Year” lights, sailed across the river, carrying one shipload after another of warmth and excitement.
Along the winding Haijiang River, there were many people who, like Gu Sheng and the others, were setting off fireworks there.
“But theirs aren’t as pretty as ours!”
Shen Miao Miao, holding a fairy stick in each hand, laughed happily and with satisfaction:
“Ours is the biggest! The brightest! The prettiest!”
“Yeah—yeah, yeah,”
Gu Sheng smiled and nodded:
“Ours is the prettiest.”
As he said this!
Sshh—Boom!!!
Another string of fireworks rose into the air.
Beneath the intricate starry sky, the brilliant fireworks rose and fell.
Gu Sheng turned to look at Shen Miao Miao beside him, who was cheering, and smiled.
As if she sensed Gu Sheng’s gaze, Shen Miao Miao turned her head as well.
Beneath the dazzling night sky, their eyes met.
Shen Miao Miao’s lips moved, as if she said something, but her words were drowned out by the sound of the exploding fireworks.
“What—did—you—say—?”
Amidst the boom and crackle, Gu Sheng asked loudly.
Shen Miao Miao raised her lips and smiled, her big eyes like crescent moons:
“I—said—”
“Happy—New—Year—”
Boom!
As she spoke!
The largest firework exploded in the skyline, drawing gasps from the people around them.
Beneath the dazzling red glow, Shen Miao Miao’s little face was also flushed red…
…
Bidding farewell to the old and welcoming the new!
In the blink of an eye, the New Year was over.
The vacation without borrowing or adjusting days was indeed a happy one.
The eighth day of the Lunar New Year!
Golden Wind, which had been silent for seven days, buzzed with life again. Everyone was glowing with happiness!
“Yo, Yun Ge, your face has gotten round in just a few days…”
“Hey, you haven’t tasted your sister-in-law’s cooking. Yun Ge has definitely been eating and drinking like crazy these days…”
“Back to work, back to work! I’ve been missing my BT for days, I’m dying for it…”
“I knew it! I’d rather rot in the factory…”
“You… ”
“Hahahaha…”
The Titanfall project, which had been sealed, restarted. Everyone was full of energy.
And as all the manufacturers, especially ArtTour Technology and XunTeng Technology, the two domestic giants, officially restarted, the already turbulent game market once again surged forward.
Both sides had their own fans and their own trump cards.
The media war was almost silently launched.
The first wave of attacks came from XunTeng.
Immediately afterward, ArtTour responded, launching a counterattack.
Within just two weeks, the media and water armies of both sides, openly and secretly, engaged in a fierce bombardment, reaching a climax.
Although!
The official release date for both companies’ sensory pods was still three months away.
The reason why both sides were working so hard was not without reason.
Because at the end of this month, both sides would release the trailers for their three flagship games!
This would be the first direct confrontation between the two sides, and also one of the most crucial confrontations!
Because the trailers would be the first official appearance of the two sides’ flagship games!
Genre, visuals, theme, innovation…
Countless core game selling points would be presented to all the media and players for the first time.
Therefore, in order to build momentum!
Neither side dared to slack off!
For a time, all sorts of news bombarded everyone, countless speculations came pouring in!
The entire gaming circle was like the Jin-bei area during the Japanese invasion, a chaotic mess.
Right now!
The curtain is about to rise –
(End of Chapter)
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