"Infuriating! How could there be people like this?" Ruan Ningxue was livid.
After all, she had been involved with "Magic Mirror" too.
"That guy's sly. He just wants attention, whether people curse him or support him." Yang Xin spoke up to comfort Ruan Ningxue.
"That's right. People like that aren't uncommon. You'll find them in every industry," Chen Xu said with a smile.
"So, Chen Xu, are we just going to pretend we don't know?" Ruan Ningxue felt a little stifled.
If they didn't fight back, others would be riding all over them.
But if they did fight back, wouldn't that be exactly what he wanted?
"Of course not. Doesn't he want to start something? Then we'll oblige him!" Chen Xu chuckled, opened his Official Blog, and posted a message.
"To certain self-proclaimed veteran figures: games are art, but they are also products. Just like movies, there are art films and commercial films. 'Magic Mirror' has never called itself art."
"Of course, certain veteran figures call their own work art. Presumably, they've been attacked by young people with no sense of honor, because if a work truly qualifies as art, those ratings are rather hard to justify!"
After posting on his Official Blog, Chen Xu also updated the store description for "Magic Mirror."
Mainly because his Official Blog had far too few followers.
There were only a little over a thousand, most of whom had followed him through his comics before.
Although "Magic Mirror" had sold fairly well, most Gentleman Game players did not pay much attention to its developer.
Yang Xin and Ruan Ningxue were both stunned when they saw Chen Xu's post.
"Chen Xu, didn't you say he was doing this on purpose? Aren't you giving him exactly what he wants?" Ruan Ningxue was puzzled.
"They've already gotten in my face. Wouldn't it be too cowardly if I didn't respond?" Chen Xu spread his hands with a smile.
Yang Xin's eyes lit up. "The scale of 'Undertale' isn't that large. If we put in some overtime these next few days, we can get the promotional materials ready!"
Chen Xu nodded. "That's right. I was still wondering how to promote it before, but now... why waste traffic that's been delivered right to our door?"
"But everyone will have to work hard these next few days," Chen Xu said.
It was like the marketplace: when the top two companies fought, it was often the third that died.
The game industry was much the same.
The scariest thing was not getting cursed at, but having no one pay attention.
And Chen Xu was extremely confident in the quality of "Undertale."
While the three of them entered overtime-maniac mode.
Chen Xu's Official Blog post gradually began to gain traction.
Although Chen Xu's Official Blog did not have many followers.
There were still plenty of "Magic Mirror" players lately, and they headed over to drive traffic there.
Moreover, Zhong Mei had been targeting "Magic Mirror" from the start, so quite a few people had been quietly watching to see how "Magic Mirror" and Chen Xu would respond.
To their surprise, they really caught something.
At first, many people had treated Zhong Mei's Official Blog post as a joke.
After all, it was not his first time doing something like this.
But Chen Xu's post immediately afterward made it an entirely different matter.
Anyone could see that Chen Xu had been referring to Zhong Mei.
It took two to tango. The moment Chen Xu responded, countless onlookers flocked in.
Media outlets rushed to report on the matter, while plenty of gossip-hungry players joined in as well.
They all eagerly discussed it.
"Holy shit, what's going on?"
"They're fighting, they're fighting!"
"So Chen Xu is the creator of 'Magic Mirror'!"
"Bro above, does this designer called Chen Xu have some kind of background?"
"No. Why?"
"Then what the hell are you getting emotional about?"
"Haha, Chen Xu's words were absolutely brutal."
"He's not wrong. Zhong Da Pao did make two decent games, but they're still far from being works of art."
"I'm backing Chen Xu. What's wrong with liking Gentleman Games? Sequel and DLC new characters, GKD!"
"I think Zhong Da Pao isn't really wrong this time. Gentleman Games really can't be put on the big stage."
"Pah! You sound awfully tough now that you've put your pants back on! Wasn't Zhong Da Pao the one who started picking a fight?"
Following Chen Xu's response, the popularity of the matter shot up, drawing the attention of a huge number of players.
Quite a few players supported Chen Xu, since Zhong Mei's reputation was not very good, either in the game industry or among players.
But there were also people who disliked Chen Xu and sided with Zhong Mei, since the type of game "Magic Mirror" was indeed prone to controversy.
But one thing was certain: Chen Xu and Zhong Mei instantly became the focus of attention for many media outlets and players.
Saying it had spread throughout the entire game industry would have been a slight exaggeration, but with all the media coverage, most players who had been following the Indie Game Circle recently had learned about it.
Chen Xu's Official Blog account also gained over a hundred thousand followers overnight.
Meanwhile, in the Office of Hepatitis Culture and Sports, Zhong Mei learned about the news after being alerted by his assistant.
But he was not angry. Instead, he looked delighted.
"Good! As expected, you should target young designers who are just starting out and have a bit of fame. This is what young people are like! Hot-blooded! If they aren't hot-blooded, can they still be called young people?" Zhong Mei beamed.
Why had he done that interview online before?
Wasn't it all for attention?
And now, wasn't the attention here?
How long had it been since someone had stepped out to cooperate with him voluntarily?
Someone cooperating and no one cooperating were two entirely different things!
Just look at how eagerly the media was reporting on it now. Earlier, he had deliberately bought some engagement to stir up this topic.
But it had not caused much of a stir. And now?
With a response, he did not even need to lift a finger. The traffic came to him on its own!
Still, he needed to add more fuel and make this fire burn even hotter!
Smiling, Zhong Mei opened his Official Blog and posted: "Certain game designers are quite skilled at taking words out of context. I have never said that my games are art. I am merely someone who hopes to create a game worthy of being called art."
"But judging by the games certain designers develop, perhaps they will never understand in their entire lives how to create a real game, rather than relying on some clever... petty tricks."
After posting the message, Zhong Mei even deliberately tagged Chen Xu.
But what surprised Zhong Mei was how quickly the other side replied. Around five minutes later, Chen Xu tagged him back.
"The same can be said by me. My new game, 'Undertale,' will officially launch on July 15th. Perhaps certain designers can come have a look and see whether a game like this counts as a real game, and whether it has any artistic merit."
Zhong Mei's smile suddenly froze on his face.
That move looked awfully familiar!
Thanks to 'Dimension Is Me' for the 500 reward.
Before you continue