There was not much content to the game because they had a limited budget. The entire game would probably last twelve to thirteen hours. Of course, this was only if players were familiar with battle and could make consistent progress.
If they were newbies, it would take them much longer to complete the game; they might end up playing for tens of hours or forever.
The game was not linear. From time to time, players would be required to turn back mid-way in order to advance to the next location.
For example, at the start of the game, players would have to go to the town which was completely overtaken by wandering ghouls. After defeating the grievous spirits gathered there, they would receive an initial boost in powers. Then, they had to collect several special props which would help them defeat wandering ghosts (such as Buddhist beads, amulets, and the like). After that, they had to turn around and head back to the village. From there, they could only enter the Road to the Underworld after killing an old man and following his soul.
If players did not go to that town and killed the old man immediately to follow his soul onto the Road to the Underworld instead, the entire journey would be extremely difficult.
Players would face a similar choice in Yama’s palace. They could choose to go deep into Yama’s palace, kill the magistrates and Yama himself, and then turn into a true malicious spirit. They could also choose to enter the messy six realms of rebirth and existence and reincarnate as a human. Then, they could escape far away from this world.
Otherwise, they could choose to go into the bottom-most level of hell and kill the crazed ruler of the place. This way, they would be sacrificing themselves in order to suppress the grievous spirits.
There would be three to five different outcomes. The outcome players got would depend on critical decisions that they made during the game. The clues to guide players in making each of these decisions would be hidden within the game’s plot.
Throughout the game, players would get to talk to a few NPCs. They could also kill bosses or wandering ghouls and obtain their souls in order to access their memories. From there, they would be able to listen to narrations and fragments of memories.
There would also be clues hidden in key props or scenes (such as at the Three-Life Stone). These would hint at players where the more obscure clues could be found.
Scenes like the Three-Life Stone could be counterproductive as well. Depending on players’ choices throughout the game, the hint that appeared on the Three-Life Stone could be different. This, in turn, would affect key events in the plot.
Of course, as players went down different paths, they would also meet with different monsters on their journey. Giving the same scene multiple different uses would be a good use of their money.
These hints would be the main tool Pei Qian would use to dissuade foreign players from trying the game out.
Pei Qian did not ask for these games to be written in poetry; this would make the game far too difficult.
All he had to do was ensure that the hints were written in obscure and complicated ancient Chinese. Anyone who had been through nine years of mandatory education would be able to roughly guess the hint’s meaning.
It was not that Pei Qian did not enjoy poetry. However, even if he made a request like that, Lu Mingliang and the others would not be able to achieve it.
All of these were part of the game’s initial design.
In the initial stages of researching and developing the game, they just needed to decide on the scenes, bosses, and story progression. Once they confirmed that the preparatory work (such as requesting for art resources) could be completed smoothly, they would be more or less done.
The details of the game could be perfected during the actual research and development process. Some designs and content could also be edited along the way.
Ma Yiqun explained the game’s theme in detail to everyone. He also briefed them on their tasks. Compared to thinking about the plot for Repent and be Saved, everyone was relatively uninterested in reviewing manuscripts.
Up until now, the quality of the manuscripts that had been sent to Zhongdian Chinese Network was dismal. If there were more interesting introductions, quicker rhythm, fresh plots, and engaging storylines, everyone would probably feel much more excited about their work.
However, there weren’t.
In other words, no matter how much time they spent reviewing manuscripts, they would not find one that would be extremely popular and help the website rise to fame.
As for guiding authors, it was even more unnecessary. After all, they had little understanding of their current editing job scope. What if they caused more trouble by attempting to guide authors as well?
Working on Repent and be Saved would be a different story altogether.
It was Tengda Games’ newest product! They were investing tens of millions of yuan in it! Boss Pei was working on it himself!
From any angle, this game looked like it would become extremely popular. Even if it would not make as much profit as Ocean Stronghold, it would at least have as good a reputation as Game Designer.
If they took part in the research and development of this game and even had a hand in writing its plot, they would be able to boast to their friends!
After listening to Ma Yiqun’s briefing, Zhu Anxing’s eyes lit up.
“Brother Ma, I want to write! Can we post the content we write onto our website directly? They can be taken as the game’s official novel.
“We can split the tasks. Each person can take charge of one part of the plot, including the game’s chronicles and the background stories of every boss and NPC in the game. These can supplement the game.
“Although they might not be used in the end, it’ll be much better than sitting around aimlessly and building a cart behind closed doors.”
Ma Yiqun pondered for a while and decided that it was true.
In any case, they had nothing to do. Even if they had to write their own novels, many people would not have anything to write about. Since that was so, he could just make everybody write Repent and be Saved’s plot. Once they were down, he could pick the best ones to be part of the game.
Ma Yiqun nodded and said, “That’ll do. While you’re reviewing manuscripts, think about Repent and be Saved’s plot as well, then. We’ll hold a meeting every week from now, especially to talk about the plot design. I’ll update the project team accordingly.”
[1] “Tudi’ is an Earth Deity in Chinese mythology.
Chapter 203 - What Plan does He Have for Ming Yun Villas?
July 13th, afternoon…
At Fish-Catching Internet Cafe’s flagship store…
Li Shi sat in the corner, quietly sipping his coffee.
“This place is much livelier, but… I still prefer the way it was before.”
Li Shi breathed out gently. He did not know that he and Boss Pei had similar thoughts in this area.
His negotiations with Boss Pei had completely fallen through back then. Li Shi felt absolutely defeated, and because of that, he avoided Fish-Catching Internet Cafe for more than a week. However, he remained indignant; and he harbored hopes of making a comeback in the future.
What’s more, when he had nothing to do, he used to come to Fish-Catching Internet Cafe to sit around and have a drink or two. He had already developed a sort of habit.
That was why Li Shi came to Fish-Catching Internet Cafe’s flagship store today. He wanted to see what things were like here.
The first thing he realized was that there were indeed more customers.
He knew that the place would probably be much more crowded at night. Thus, he purposely picked a Tuesday afternoon to visit. He did not expect that there would be this many customers, even on a workday afternoon. Some were reading and sipping their coffees quietly in the coffee area, some were taking photos, and some were surfing the net.
It looked like business was booming.
They earned revenue in the day and profited from customers’ alcohol
tips for the singers at night.
Li Shi guessed that Fish-Catching Internet Cafe’s flagship store was probably making a profit now. It was not easy to determine if they were earning a lot or a little, but they were definitely earning profits.
Yet, personally, he liked what Fish-Catching Internet Cafe was like before. It was quiet, and nobody was there to disturb him.
Of course, the current Fish-Catching Internet Cafe was not so crowded that people would feel frustrated just being there. Still, there was no peace like there was before.
Li Shi took another sip of coffee. He could not help but feel like something was missing.
Boss Pei was not here. This was normal.
Yet, where was the man with the big, long face and the regional manager who always followed the former around?
Li Shi used to always come to Fish-Catching Internet Cafe’s flagship store. Each time, he would bump into those two people. It was almost as if they lived in the flagship store. Today, none of them were there.
“Strange. If the business is doing so well, shouldn’t they remain here to keep an eye on things?”
Li Shi had been observing the changes to Fish-Catching Internet Cafe over these few days.
The flagship store had indeed been made popular by Chen Lei. It was now famous on the internet. Many people came here to check in and purchase things. Traffic flow was high.
However, the other Fish-Catching Internet Cafe branches had not changed much. Although there were more customers and they earned more income, they were a far cry from the flagship store.
It was logical to guess that these branches could reduce their losses, but they would not be able to turn the losses into profits.
Shouldn’t the two men remain in the flagship store and apply the lessons they learned here to the other branches? Why were they nowhere to be found?
Li Shi raised his hand slightly. The waiter beside him immediately noticed and walked to his table.
“May I help you with anything?” The waiter asked, smiling subtly.
Li Shi was a regular customer in Fish-Catching Internet Cafe after all. He had spent a considerable amount of money here. Of course, the waiters recognized this major customer and ensured that they served him well.
Li Shi put on a nonchalant expression and asked, “Boss Ma isn’t here today?”
dIISI
The waiter maintained his smile and answered, “Yes, Boss Ma hasn’t come to visit for a while. It’s been about a week, I think.”
Li Shi paused.
A week?
In other words, from the time Fish-Catching Internet Cafe became extremely popular and saw the most customers it ever had until the traffic flow stabilized, the man with the big, long face had not visited.
Logically, since the flagship store had a branch manager, the long-faced man could fold his hands and sit back. However, he was part of the management team above the branch managers after all. If he was not in this branch, he was likely in another branch. What was he doing there?
There was something fishy going on here.
Li Shi smiled at the waiter and said, “It’s alright; I’m just asking.”
Two hours later, Li Shi glanced at his handset. A subordinate had sent him a message: “Boss Li, I’ve found out that he’s at Ming Yun Villas.”
When he saw this message, Li Shi was shocked. However, after some consideration, he finally understood. Obviously, the long-faced man and his companion had turned their focus to the other branches now that the flagship store was doing well!
Although Li Shi looked down on the long-faced Ma Yang for being stupid, he did not dare to underestimate him. After all, Ma Yang’s every action harbored Boss Pei’s deeper intentions!
With what happened the last time, Li Shi no longer dared to belittle the younger and less-experienced Boss Pei. He knew that this Boss Pei seemed young and acted illogically, but he had a clear, far vision. What’s more, he always had a back-up plan!
Li Shi had incurred a great loss the last time precisely because he belittled Boss Pei.
He gently rubbed his chin, thinking about everything going on behind the scenes.
“Boss Pei must have had some clue about what I had been doing earlier. He must have been the one who instructed the long-faced man to give me false information. Indeed, the long-faced man may be stupid, but he is extremely loyal to Boss Pei. It was a mistake for me to begin executing my plan from there.
“This is logical. If the long-faced man were not loyal to Boss Pei, how could he earn his favor and be placed in such a high position?
“I must not make the same mistake this time.
“The long-faced man can no longer be found in the flagship store. Instead, he’s staying at the branch in Ming Yun. There’s a high chance that Boss Pei has laid down a new plan for that region!”
Li Shi no longer engaged in wishful thinking like he did before. He did not even dream about buying Fish-Catching Internet Cafe over. He knew very well that Fish-Catching Internet Cafe was excelling now. Its reputation and quality were good. It would already be very difficult for Li Shi to invest in it.
Li Shi’s interest in Fish-Catching Internet Cafe was dissipating, but his interest in Boss Pei was not.
After what happened the last time, Li Shi’s comments about Boss Pei kept improving. He even felt like the latter was one of the top entrepreneurs in Jingzhou City. With someone so awesome within reach, Li Shi naturally had to keep a close eye on his every move.
What if a business opportunity presented itself?
The same thing was happening this time. Li Shi was looking into Fish-Catching Internet Cafe’s Ming Yun Villas branch not because he wanted to invest in it or buy it over… but because he was very curious about Boss Pei’s next move.
He opened the map on his phone and roughly scanned it. Then, Li Shi frowned. He did not understand what was promising about this place.
The so-called ‘Ming Yun Villas’ was a high-end residential area in Jingzhou. It was mainly filled with free-standing villas.
However, there was a problem with the layout of this place.
Ming Yun Villas was located in the south-east region of Jingzhou City along mountains and waters. The views there were not bad.
Then again, there were two big problems with a place like that.
First, the surrounding facilities were not good. The villas were good as holiday homes for a day or two but not as long-term accommodation. It would be extremely inconvenient.
Second, the developer’s strategy was problematic. They filled the entire place with high-end villas. The average price of a villa in this place was considerably higher than other villas in Jingzhou City. Yet, marketing was not done well; and the place was not very popular.
Thus, almost a year after the villas were completed, there were still few people living inside.
The location that Fish-Catching Internet Cafe chose was even more confusing to Li Shi. The internet cafe was not built near Ming Yun Villas. In fact, it was built a distance away from Ming Yun Villas, as well as the East Campus of Handong Jiaotong University. If people wanted to go to Fish-Catching Internet Cafe from either of these places, they would have to travel a good distance.
Chapter 204 - Was there a Need to Plant Spies Given the Circumstances?!
If Li Shi were allowed to choose, he would have considered opening a branch at the entrance of Handong Jiaotong University’s East Campus or nearer to Ming Yun Villas. He would not have opened it at such an awkward position between both places.
According to his initial research, Fish-Catching Internet Cafe’s branch at Ming Yun Villas was indeed doing the worst out of all the branches. This was a direct consequence of the branch’s location.
Thus, Li Shi was confused.
The fact that the long-faced man was visiting the branch at Ming Yun Villas frequently showed that Boss Pei took this branch as an important part of his plan.
Yet, from any angle, it did not look like this branch had much potential
. If Li Shi had been the boss, he would have given up on this branch very early on in order to cut his losses.
All of this made him extremely curious.
After pondering for a long time, Li Shi left Fish-Catching Internet Cafe’s flagship store and prepared to drive to the branch at Ming Yun Villas in order to find out more.
At Fish-Catching Internet Cafe’s branch in Ming Yun Villas…
There was a vast plain outside the cafe. After all, this was Jingzhou City’s outskirts. Naturally, it was not very crowded. Li Shi parked his car outside and walked into the internet cafe. Although the two branch’s set-ups were not completely the same, their styles were similar. This place felt familiar to Li Shi.
What’s more, this branch was a lot less crowded than the flagship store. To Li Shi, this was a huge plus point!
He walked to the coffee area, sat down, and then ordered a cup of tea.
The clean environment made him very happy.
However, Li Shi did not forget what he had come here for. He scanned the first floor of the internet cafe and found that Ma Yang and Zhang Yuan were here indeed.
However, both of them were happily playing games in the internet cafe. They had headphones on, and they looked very focused.
Ma Yang was completely engrossed. However, Zhang Yuan looked like he was in unspeakable pain. One could only imagine how torturous it was to play games with a boss who was rubbish at it and who had no self-awareness whatsoever!
However, in the eyes of an outsider like Li Shi, both of them looked like they were enjoying themselves and were on very good terms.
“Indeed, they have shifted their focus onto this branch, but… Why? It is purely because this place is doing horribly, and they want to convert the losses to profits?
“No, I don’t think that’s it. Boss Pei is very far-sighted. Would he be so hung up on the losses that one branch is incurring? There must be more to it.
“For all I know, there’s a deeper, complex plan behind this branch.”
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