Repay It in Full

This was too damn absurd!

Shen Miaomiao inwardly cried out at how outrageous it was.

If Mario Bros. had looked like a pile of garbage at first glance, then Gu Sheng's new project was downright dogshit.

After all, Mario Bros. was a derivative work of Mario. Setting aside whether it was good or bad, at least one could tell at a glance what kind of game it was, what its basic Gameplay was, and what its objective was.

But this new project!

Shen Miaomiao could not even imagine what kind of game it was based on Gu Sheng's description!

A brat relentlessly courting death while his old father tried his best to stop him?

Where the hell was the fun in that?

Shen Miaomiao could not figure it out. She was even a little worried about Gu Sheng's mental state.

But!

There was no question that such an inexplicable game had absolutely no selling points.

Gu Sheng had already chosen a niche genre, and with such a bizarre Gameplay setup on top of that, it would be hard not to lose money.

Thinking of that, Shen Miaomiao could not help but feel delighted.

Forget it, what did it matter what kind of game it was? The more ridiculous it was, the better it was for her!

This time, she had to make up for the rebate she had failed to earn from Mario Bros.!

Repay it in full!

So she nodded.

"Very good. I like this idea—even though I didn't understand it either."

"Then Director Gu, get started on the project. Make any requests you have, especially regarding investment. The company will fully support you and definitely meet them!"

What a great boss!

Hearing that, Gu Sheng silently gave her a thumbs-up.

It was not hard to tell from Little Nezha's expression that she had not understood this game at all. She looked completely bewildered and lost.

But!

Little Nezha had still chosen to trust him, just like he trusted a teacher's answers in math class. Whether he understood or not, all he had to do was nod along and say, "Right, right, right."

With a boss like this, what more could a man ask for in life?

Gu Sheng secretly swore that he would make the company into something respectable, so he would not disappoint Little Nezha's trust!

Thinking that, Gu Sheng nodded.

"Thank you for trusting me, Boss. Since we're on the subject, I do have a small request."

"It's fine. Go ahead. As long as the company can do it, we'll support you."

Shen Miaomiao nodded, signaling for Gu Sheng to continue.

Gu Sheng grinned, seeming a little embarrassed.

"It's like this. Since this project is much larger in scope than Mario Bros., I think we can appropriately expand the team."

"A complete game development team, aside from the producer—that's me—"

"also needs a Lead Programmer responsible for engine development and Program Operations, as well as a Lead Artist responsible for Scene UI and Character Modeling. Since some later projects may involve trade secrets, it wouldn't be suitable to outsource everything."

Actually, he had left out one more position: the Lead Designer.

A Lead Designer was usually responsible for Gameplay design, level design, story logic, and structural planning.

But because of the system, the games he redeemed were practically half-finished products that already included their core Gameplay and story design. Thus, Gu Sheng also took on the role of Lead Designer himself, saving the company money in disguise while ensuring the games retained their original flavor to the greatest extent possible.

After all, if Gu Sheng served as both producer and Lead Designer, it meant that the game's core framework was entirely in his hands. He was, in the truest sense, the one who gave a game its soul.

After hearing Gu Sheng's suggestion, Shen Miaomiao nodded repeatedly.

Good! Wonderful!

Their great director had grown up. He knew how to spend the company's money now!

She immediately waved her little hand.

"Director Gu's proposal is excellent! Here's what we'll do!"

As she spoke, Shen Miaomiao turned to Chu Qingzhou.

"Secretary Chu, recruit according to Director Gu's requirements immediately. We want people with extensive experience and strong abilities. Salary and benefits are not an issue—the more expensive, the better!"

One had to know!

According to the system's rules, the Principal's salary, as the executor of investments, did not count toward the investment amount. However, any personnel expenses aside from the Principal's would be considered investments!

In other words, the more expensive the people working under Gu Sheng on game development were!

The greater the investment amount would be!

The harder it would be to recover the principal!

And the more rebate she would receive!

Of course, hiring personnel still had to follow market rates. She could not hire a dog for an annual salary of a million—that would count as cheating.

That was why Shen Miaomiao had instructed Chu Qingzhou to recruit the best talent possible, thereby driving up the company's spending.

However, before Chu Qingzhou could agree, Gu Sheng interrupted.

"Uh... what I mean is... perhaps we don't need to go to such lengths?"

At those words, both Shen Miaomiao and Chu Qingzhou froze.

"What do you mean?" Shen Miaomiao shrugged, unable to understand why Gu Sheng would say that.

Gu Sheng smiled.

"What I mean is, instead of recruiting those so-called seasoned industry elites who have bounced from job to job,"

"why don't we cultivate a Core Team of our own?"

A Core Team?

The two women across the conference table exchanged a glance.

Chu Qingzhou asked, "Director Gu, do you mean hiring newcomers?"

"Yes."

Gu Sheng nodded.

"Compared with those so-called 'industry elites,' I would rather lead a new team."

Gu Sheng's considerations were extremely thorough.

What kind of place was this?

A Parallel World.

More specifically, a Parallel World where game ideas were scarce and game genres had become rigid.

Games were a creative art form.

Yet the so-called "elites" of this world were nothing more than mechanical laborers unable to break free from the shackles of conventional thinking.

When they saw the success of CrossFire, they decided that shooting games could only put the crosshair in the center of the screen, fix HP at 100, and set Bomb Defusal as the objective.

When they saw the success of Extreme Speed Racing, they decided that driving games could only be about racing, that the chosen vehicles had to look cool, that all kinds of modifications had to be in place, and that they had to pursue the ultimate in performance.

Little did they know!

Gunplay could also use realistic iron sights, recovering HP through breathing could also speed up a game's pace, and game objectives did not have to revolve around that bomb that had been defused ten thousand times.

Driving games did not necessarily have to be about racing either. The chosen vehicles could be heavy trucks, and the scenery ignored during races could also give players a relaxing and pleasant experience.

Gu Sheng had many, many games he wanted to release in the future.

He hoped his game development team could open their minds and strive to understand games as the Ninth Art, rather than forever limiting their vision to questions like, "Will this game make money?" "Is this game mainstream?" and "Does this game have a market?"

Games were tedious. After all, their essence consisted of zeros and ones, strings upon strings of flavorless code.

At the same time, games were wonderful, because among the countless combinations of zeros and ones lay the sunset vistas of the Alps, the majestic grandeur of Norse mythology, the surging passion of becoming a hero and saving the world, and reflections on human nature through parting the fog to glimpse the truth.

Those were the games Gu Sheng loved.

"So I'm applying to the company for a trial hire of two friends of mine. Like me, they still retain a passion for creativity in the game industry."