"What a rip-off~~"
Looking at the hundred yuan left in his bank account, Wang Chuan felt a bleak wind sweep past him.
It had not only brought him sorrow, but taken away his money as well.
After carefully comparing his options, he finally found a reputable self-media public account with eight hundred thousand followers.
The price they offered was fairly reasonable—nine thousand yuan for one sponsored promotional post.
But they also threw in one hundred thousand keyword searches, and that was precisely why Wang Chuan chose them.
However, they required him to send them the game before running the advertisement.
They needed to play through it and confirm its content before they could promote it.
Well, they claimed it was so they would have material to write about, but in reality, they were checking whether the game contained any prohibited content.
"Sigh, stomach, just hang in there for a few days. Once the money comes in at the end of the month, you can have a big feast."
Wang Chuan looked at his stomach with a bitter smile and sighed inwardly.
There was no helping it. He had poured all his savings into making the game, leaving only a hundred yuan for food.
At this rate, what could a hundred yuan even buy? He did not know whether he could hold out for these ten days.
If only there were somewhere cheap to eat.
"Wait, there really is a place like that!"
Wang Chuan's eyes suddenly lit up. How had he forgotten about the school cafeteria?
With that thought, he casually set aside his computer, tidied up, and prepared to eat.
The school cafeteria was a blessing for students everywhere!
Three meat dishes cost only eight or nine yuan, and rice was free. That was a perk only available at school.
As for vegetables? Too expensive, too expensive~~
Just as Wang Chuan gazed at the food and sighed with emotion, Xia Xiao sat wearily before a computer in an office somewhere in Modu, staring at the screen as she yawned.
"This game looks like a total flop. So boring~~"
She was an employee of this public-account media outlet, specifically responsible for testing the quality of games submitted for promotion.
After playing them, she would write sponsored articles for them.
This job might look easy, since she got to play games every day.
But when it came time to write promotional copy, she had to rack her brains for advantages and trick players into trying them.
"Xia Xiao, what's wrong? Are you tired? Want me to do it for you? Are you thirsty? I can go buy you a drink."
Seeing that the goddess had reacted, Xiao Chen hurriedly sidled up to her with a flattering grin, showering her with concern.
Ever since he laid eyes on Xia Xiao, he had resolutely embarked on the point-of-no-return path of being a simp.
Unfortunately, simps ended up with nothing!
"No, it's just this game. I haven't even played it yet, but I can already tell it won't be any good."
Xia Xiao glanced at Xiao Chen and casually mocked it.
She would never like a simp, but having one around really was quite comfortable.
"Oh?"
"Because this game was made by an ordinary person, and its buyout price is a dirt-cheap five yuan. There's an eighty-percent chance it won't pass."
Xia Xiao lazily leaned back in her chair and explained in detail.
After hearing her explanation, Xiao Chen understood why she said that.
Their job was to play games, so they knew quite a bit about the industry.
To become an official Game Producer, both ranking and recognition were indispensable.
Never mind the ranking; simply gaining player approval and reaching ten thousand paying players was already extremely difficult.
Even if a game was priced dirt cheap, it was no easier. Some free games could not even attract ten thousand players, much less one that cost money, however cheap it was.
Therefore, anyone who made it through this path and became an official Game Producer—
would become highly sought after, since they had already proven their ability in the market.
Though she kept mocking it, Xia Xiao was still very conscientious.
She downloaded the game onto her computer, took a deep breath, and cleared her mind to ensure her judgment would not be affected by prejudice.
Then she entered the game directly.
The game opened straight into gameplay without any cinematic.
Xia Xiao was not surprised by that. It was an indie game, after all.
But the scene that followed sparked her interest.
Unlike the setting she had imagined, the game's visuals were quite refined.
On the screen was a man in a suit sitting before a computer, just like Xia Xiao herself.
The Narrator began recounting the story's background.
It turned out that the man was named Stanley, and the game was actually named after him.
Stanley's story? What kind of story did he have?
Xia Xiao was intrigued.
After entering the main interface, the images shifted like a comic strip, while a simple yet inexplicably chilling BGM began to play.
"This is the story of a man named Stanley."
"Stanley worked for a company in a large building. He was Employee 427."
"Employee 427's job was simple: sit at his desk and press the buttons on his keyboard."
"The monitor would tell him what commands to follow."
"But one day, something strange happened."
"This changed Stanley forever."
"But when he regained his senses and consciousness, he rose from his desk and walked out of his office."
Accompanied by the Narrator's brief introduction, the game officially began.
The god's-eye view suddenly vanished, changing into a first-person perspective.
Although there were no instructions, Xia Xiao instinctively understood how to control it.
Just like other games, she used the directional keys to move and the mouse to turn.
"This game actually seems kind of interesting! What exactly happened to Stanley?"
After getting used to it a little, Xia Xiao decided to head out and explore.
The Narrator's earlier introduction had left her full of questions, and an innate human curiosity drove her to uncover the mystery.
"Xia Xiao? How is it? Is the game fun?"
At that moment, a sleazy voice rang out. It was Xiao Chen, the simp beside her.
As a simp, one essential skill was showing concern for the goddess at all times and finding common topics to talk about.
"Go away. I'm playing a game. I don't have time for you."
Xia Xiao glanced sideways at him and spoke expressionlessly.
As a qualified employee, she disliked having anyone near her while reviewing games. It would affect her judgment.
"Okay, okay. I'll come back later."
Xiao Chen awkwardly rubbed his nose, then turned and left.
A simp had to endure countless rejections and awkward moments every day.
But so what? He was used to it anyway~~
Ignoring Xiao Chen, Xia Xiao devoted herself completely to the game.
She controlled Stanley as he left the office and passed through a corridor and a meeting room.
During that time, she did not find a single person.
Just then, the Narrator's line rang out, blending with the eerie music to faintly evoke an air of desolation.
Before you continue