In Chen Xu's rented room, he was polishing off a pack of instant noodles he had just soaked, with an egg added in.
He had no choice but to live on this stuff lately. He was seriously short on money.
He still owed money on his credit card, ZhiFuBa's JieBei, and JingGou's JieJie.
Not only had he failed to pay Ruan Ningxue for her salary and artwork fees, he had even borrowed another 1,000 yuan from her. Most of his funds had gone into the game, after all.
He was so broke he could barely afford food.
Of course, the main reason was that he had specifically set aside another 20,000 yuan from all his funds.
And those 20,000 yuan were the foundation for making "Magic Mirror" take off.
Chen Xu had confidence in the quality of "Magic Mirror."
Especially after gaining a deeper understanding of the Gentleman Games in this world, including those unspeakable doujinshi.
All Chen Xu could say about them was that they were unbelievably crude.
Were Gentleman Games not games too?
This was outrageous!
But as the old saying went, even the finest wine feared a deep alley.
If you thought an 18R game would definitely take off just by being made and thrown onto a platform—
You were dreaming.
Even masterpieces on the level of "Minecraft" and "The Binding of Isaac," if carelessly tossed onto a platform—
Might not make even a ripple during the early game if luck was bad.
That was why promotion was essential for any game.
Even an 18R game!
Of course, the method needed a few special tricks.
In a university dormitory.
Jiang Ping yawned as he climbed down from the upper bunk and turned on the notebook sitting on the desk.
"There haven't been any new doujinshi to read lately."
Muttering to himself, Jiang Ping opened a relatively well-known overseas forum.
Of course, by doujinshi, he did not mean purely erotic ones. It also included fan works.
For example, some manga plots could be incredibly frustrating—like when a popular supporting heroine died, or when the heroine of a hot-blooded manga died and became the trigger for the protagonist to power up.
It felt as awful as eating shit, yet if the manga itself was genuinely good, that only made it more annoying.
That was when fan works came in. Of course, it was also common to occasionally examine those unspeakable doujinshi with a critical eye.
But fan works like that were generally small-scale productions, since copyright was an issue.
There were original doujinshi too, but most of those tended to be the unspeakable kind.
Jiang Ping had entered a famous overseas doujinshi forum to see whether there were any new releases.
After all, most artists who drew such works did it out of interest.
Working for three days and resting for two was perfectly normal. Forget collected volumes—sometimes, being able to update one chapter a week was already something to thank heaven for.
Even some original, profit-making special doujinshi might not update regularly.
But after entering the forum today, Jiang Ping noticed something unusual.
The posts on the homepage were strangely impressive for reasons he could not explain.
"His roommate's bed keeps shaking late at night. Is it a distortion of humanity, or a loss of morality?"
"This is seriously the best Match-3 game I've ever played!"
"It looks like a simple Match-3 game, but the truth hidden behind it is heartwarming."
"What kind of game is this? It's ruining people! I wanted to buy my little brother a Match-3 game, and now he's completely listless!"
"Brave bulls fear no hardship! Brothers, charge!"
??????
What the hell?
Staring at the string of post titles, Jiang Ping was completely dumbfounded.
After clicking into one of the posts and reading for a long while, Jiang Ping finally understood.
The truth behind it was heartwarming, and his roommate's bed kept shaking at night.
These guys had slammed the accelerator to the floor. So they were talking about the Gentleman Games LSPs loved most!
But if it was a Gentleman Game, it was a Gentleman Game. What the hell were these comments?
"Thoughts after half an hour of gameplay: Just like the game's title, we are all those who peer through the mirror. Once we put down the Magic Mirror, what awaits us is the pain and torment of reality. The more wonderful things we have seen, the more confidence we gain in life. When you are covered in wounds, take a break and quietly recall this simple, pure, slightly sorrowful feeling."
"The dark side of humanity it reveals nearly exceeds my comprehension. Salvation and depravity, profound questions about morality that cut to the bone. Even after closing the game, my thoughts remain within it. Highly recommended!"
"A game full of depth. Beneath its uninhibited exterior, it expresses an unparalleled desolation. It sings through the streets like a headless fly, yet says more than half a volume of scripture preached from a temple hall. Each of the game's stories has its own color, yet together they shine brilliantly, like a miniature human world. This game naturally has many disadvantages, but its story is first-rate: simple, powerful, and deeply moving."
"Somehow, 'Magic Mirror' gives me the feeling of Dream of the Red Chamber. Through the Magic Mirror, the fates of these women unfold before our eyes. Against different historical backdrops, they each have their own experiences and are controlled by all sorts of things—desire, love, fear... As for what thoughts the audience may have, in the end, they can only become a sigh after closing the game, or perhaps indifference."
"A great literary master once said: There are always people adding color where color should not be added, but there are also always people discussing philosophy where color should be added; discussing life and morality. Clearly, 'Magic Mirror' is exactly such a game—one wrapped in a licentious skin, yet filled with profound meaning."
"When a Gentleman Game moves me, I know that whether to charge or not is no longer important."
"When I opened this game, in just ten short minutes, my heart suffered an incomparable shock. It is hard for me to describe this game in words. Like a guiding lamp appearing in the darkness, I have a feeling that because of this game, the Gentleman Game world will undergo a revolution!"
What the hell!?
What were you people even talking about!?
After reading through everything, Jiang Ping felt completely numb, while a powerful curiosity rose within him.
Looking at the posts and comments on the forum, he confirmed that the game's name was "Magic Mirror."
Jiang Ping opened the Official Game Platform and searched for it.
The extremely conspicuous elf on the game's cover, along with the 18R tag.
Yeah!
There was absolutely no question that this was a Gentleman Game.
But were these comments really not posted under the wrong game?
Jiang Ping had already been very interested in Gentleman Games, and now he was even more interested.
What kind of game was this?
At ten yuan, it was not expensive.
It was only the cost of one breakfast.
Without thinking much more about it, Jiang Ping added the game to his cart and scanned the code to pay.
Now, he was going to see just what was so special about this beautiful-girl Match-3 game.
During the new book period, there will be two updates every day. If you have votes, please vote—they are very important. (Kiss kiss! Cute face)
Before you continue