"Old Zhang, Old Second, you two look through Zhiyou's client for some tracks. I want pure electronic music with no vocals—something with a clear, rhythmic beat."
Buying music rights was too expensive. Wu Wei still couldn't afford it.
"Got it."
"Understood."
The two agreed.
"What about me?"
Lu Bian asked.
"You've got an important job."
Wu Wei mysteriously patted Old Third on the shoulder and pulled him aside.
After the two whispered for a few moments, Old Third burst out laughing, filled with heroic fervor!
"For this, you really have to come to me! I, Lu Third, wouldn't dare boast about anything else—but for this!"
"I'm willing to serve Boss Wu like a loyal hound or horse!"
Off to the side, Old Zhang and Liu He were full of questions.
"What's this mysterious business?"
Lu Bian wore a teasing expression.
"Isn't it because Boss Wu wants to... mmph, mmph..."
Before he could finish, Wu Wei clapped a hand over Lu Bian's mouth.
As he dragged Old Third out of the dorm, he gave the two inside an awkward smile.
"It's nothing, nothing. Get back to work. Bye!"
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"You little bastard!"
Once they were outside, Wu Wei rapped Lu Bian on the head.
"I pulled you aside precisely so Old Zhang wouldn't find out! The moment he knows, he'll start taking digs at me again!"
"Old Second's got a big mouth too. If he finds out, the whole school will know by tomorrow!"
"But it's not like this is anything shameful."
Old Third covered his head, looking somewhat aggrieved.
"A fair maiden is sought by every gentleman."
"Keep yapping, and I'll stuff you through a basketball hoop so even LeBron will call it a good shot!"
Wu Wei viciously warned Old Third.
"Hehehe, I won't say any more. Heaven knows, earth knows, you know, I know, Shen Yunshi knows, my girlfriend knows, the people at the library know..."
The more Wu Wei listened to Old Third ramble, the more something felt off.
Why did it seem like everyone in the world knew except for the two poor bastards back in the dorm?
That was right. Wu Wei was using Lu Bian's connections to go have a chat with the campus belle, Shen Yunshi.
It wasn't purely to hit on a girl.
Wu Wei had serious business to attend to.
Every student at Binhai University knew that Shen Yunshi was not only beautiful and charming, but also exceptionally talented.
As the most gifted young woman in the Art Department, Shen Yunshi's illustration skills were known throughout all of Binhai University.
Her drawing skills were simply exquisite!
Even the Provincial Audio-Visual Publishing House had once commissioned work from her.
Wu Wei wanted to find Shen Yunshi this time so she could help him create character portrait illustrations.
And Old Third's current girlfriend happened to be Shen Yunshi's best friend.
So for this matter, he needed Old Third to make the introduction.
As everyone knew, Dance of Ice and Fire was, simply put, a game where players used the keyboard to tap out different variations of a melody and complete an entire song.
It was simple, and highly engaging.
But at the same time, it wasn't without flaws.
If you played it for too long, it could become a little monotonous.
And most importantly, the game's objectives weren't very obvious.
Aside from the sense of achievement after clearing a level, there wasn't much else to gain from it.
Wu Wei wanted to make a few small changes.
He wanted to commission several exquisite illustrations from Shen Yunshi.
In the game, every time a player completed a small rhythm tile, that tile would turn into one piece of an illustration puzzle.
Once the player cleared the entire song, they would be able to see the complete background for that song.
And that background illustration could be downloaded locally and used as a desktop wallpaper.
That way, the game could give players a far greater sense of reward!
It sounded simple, didn't it?
But when combined with the game's hellish difficulty, everything became interesting!
Just think about it—who wouldn't want to show off a cool illustration to their friends and say they had cleared a rhythm game with hell-level difficulty?
By then, the illustration would no longer be just a picture.
It would be given a new meaning!
It would be a medal!
It would be glory!
It would be the sweat of countless days and nights of effort!
It would be proof of countless all-nighters spent grinding!
And it would be a reflection of a player's exceptional skill!
Wu Wei understood players' collecting obsession all too well!
Did you know how many players would grind for an entire month just for a single Onmyoji skin?
Did you know how many players would spend a fortune on a single Dragon Sniper skin?
Did you know how many console players would replay a game over and over just for one platinum trophy?
Never underestimate players' collecting obsession!
Even if it was just a decal or a pattern, it was enough to drive players mad!
Add in the belief that rarity made things precious.
Who knew how many keyboards players would smash just to obtain the most beautiful final-stage illustration?
Just thinking about it was thrilling.
Wu Wei revealed a terrifying smile.
Damn it, once I make money, I'm definitely opening a keyboard factory. Manufacturing and selling them myself—wouldn't that be wonderful?
Just as he was mulling it over, Old Third suddenly stopped.
Wu Wei looked up and realized they had arrived at the library.
Old Third thoughtfully turned around and straightened Wu Wei's collar.
"You need to look sharp when meeting a goddess. Look at you—your collar's still tucked in."
Wu Wei frowned and curled his lips.
"You're making us look pretty gay."
"Bro, I'm kindly fixing up your appearance for you!"
Old Third exclaimed.
Before you continue