"Have you collaborated before?"
To his surprise, the designer blushed and lowered her head. "We'd met a few times at events, but we hadn't spoken much."
Xiao Xun nodded. "Alright, all designers, listen up. If any of you, like him, feel you've found a voice actor who suits your character, send their name to the company email. The more detailed, the better. The company will arrange for specialists to negotiate with your chosen voice actors. But the premise is, this character and voice must have a spark."
The crowd erupted in cheers. "Long live President Xiao!"
Xiao Xun raised his hands to calm them. "In the gaming industry, I'm at best a player. You are the backbone of this industry. If you need anything, or have any suggestions that can substantially benefit our product, feel free to tell me."
"Okay!"
Xiao Xun continued, "I believe that the masterpiece we create together will be like our own children. Everyone wants their child to be the best. So, I hope you'll put in your one hundred percent passion and inspiration to make this the number one mobile game globally. Does everyone have the confidence?"
"Yes!"
The former Xiao Xun was shy, introverted, and not good at socializing. But ever since Wang Sucheng appointed him as the company's technical director, he had been breaking through his limitations step by step.
The person who once dared to act recklessly only online was gone, replaced by an optimistic, motivated, and striving Xiao Xun.
Xiao Xun stood behind the designers for a while, observing the 3D modeling. "Let's leave these few characters as they are! For the subsequent characters, consider incorporating Chinese styles. This is our domestic game, why design a bunch of foreigners fighting each other? Aren't there heroes in our own country?"
The designers exchanged glances and nodded in unison. One of them said, "We've wanted to design our own heroes for a long time, but we were afraid of the market, especially overseas, so..."
"Just design them. As long as you believe your work is perfect, let the market be the judge. You can't blame the product for not selling!"
With Xiao Xun's injection of confidence, they hastily finished their semi-finished products and began designing their own Chinese-style heroes, no longer rigidly copying skills.
They would gather together to brainstorm, weaving fantastical skills and backstories.
With the familiar market team and promotion methods from the PC version, Xiao Xun wasn't too worried about the marketing department. After all, besides replicating the graphics, mechanics, and gameplay of the PC version, it also had the advantage of being playable anytime, anywhere on mobile.
He reviewed the market analysis. The hottest mobile games on the market were mostly single-player. The remaining so-called online games couldn't be connected; at best, you could see if your score surpassed your teammates, but it didn't achieve the real-time effect of online games.
There was one mobile game that could be connected, but it was too demanding on configuration. Most people couldn't afford such high-spec phones, and those who could afford them were mostly past the age of playing games.
Therefore, it remained lukewarm. To this day, there wasn't a single real-time battle mobile game. Xiao Xun's next target was a shooter game.
While this game was still in the production phase, Xiao Xun was already planning to establish another game studio to compete with this one, creating internal pressure for mutual development and a virtuous cycle.
However, whether it was first-person or third-person, any shooting game first had to solve the problem of how to achieve the effect that normally requires two hands using only two, or at most four, fingers.
When people are busy, time flies quickly. It was soon time to get off work.
Xiao Xun waited in the basement for Mu Jiahe to finish work. Many supervisors who came out of the elevator greeted Xiao Xun enthusiastically. They all knew who he was waiting for, so they quickened their pace.
They were all 'old hands' in the workplace and knew what to say and what not to say.
It was only after most people had left that Mu Jiahe finally arrived.
She handed the key to Xiao Xun. "I'm not busy tonight. Call your cousin out to have dinner together!"
Xiao Xun asked in confusion, "Why call her?"
Mu Jiahe explained, "It's nothing. I feel a good connection with her, that's all."
Xiao Xun stretched. "I haven't rested much from yesterday until now. I don't even feel like eating. I just want to sleep well right now."
"Young people are full of vigor, how can you feel tired? How wild did you play last night?"
Xiao Xun subconsciously blurted out, "Still playing? Last night... forget it, it's better not to mention it."
He immediately realized he had said too much and took out his phone. "I'll contact her now."
"Hey! Sis, are you free tonight? I'm not rushing you about finding someone. It's our leader, the beautiful woman we had dinner with the night before yesterday."
As he spoke, he glanced back at Mu Jiahe, then continued,
"She feels a connection with you and wants to have dinner. Are you free?"
Xiao Xun nodded and looked at Mu Jiahe. "Where should we eat?"
Mu Jiahe looked at the car roof and said after thinking for a moment, "I know a good private kitchen. I'll send you the location later."
"Sis, I'll send you the location in a bit! Are you off work yet? Soon! Okay, do you need me to pick you up? Oh! Then drive carefully on the road!"
After hanging up the phone, he saw that Mu Jiahe had already sent the location. He forwarded it to Liu Shijia without even looking.
Then he turned on the navigation, but the more he drove, the more familiar it felt.
He was startled: This was the same area where he had organized the team-building yesterday!
He didn't know if Mu Jiahe had done it on purpose or if it was a coincidence that they chose the same area.
In fact, Xiao Xun was just feeling guilty. Nothing had really happened, but he had a crush on Secretary Fan. They hadn't done anything substantial.
Moreover, Secretary Fan was acting intentionally. How could she possibly be interested in a 'big boy' like Xiao Xun? At least not now.
Following Mu Jiahe's address, Xiao Xun parked the car in a parking space in front of a villa. As mentioned before, most of the villas here were not inhabited and were all commercialized.
A star chef didn't want to work for a restaurant and decided to go independent.
However, opening a restaurant was too small for his skills, and he didn't have enough money for a large one.
Furthermore, doing too much was tiring, and he couldn't charge high prices. So, he rented a villa like this and transformed it into a restaurant, allowing those who appreciated his culinary skills to taste his food.
Initially, he didn't entertain unfamiliar guests. Later, business became inconsistent, so he ended up receiving everyone, but with a minimum spending requirement.
Of course, he had all the necessary business licenses and health permits, making it a family-style restaurant.
Soon, Liu Shijia arrived by taxi and immediately spotted Mu Jiahe's car.
Xiao Xun got out of the driver's seat. "Sis, you got here quickly!"
"I happened to be handling some matters nearby."
Then she looked at Mu Jiahe with a humble attitude. "Hello, President Mu."
Mu Jiahe looked displeased. "President this, President that? You're not my employee, and I'm only one or two years older than you. Just call me Jiahe Jie."
Liu Shijia smiled broadly. "Jiahe Jie."
They walked inside arm in arm, with Xiao Xun following behind with his head down.
The proprietress's face lit up instantly upon seeing Mu Jiahe, her eyes sparkling. She warmly welcomed them. "President Mu, you're here! Please come in and sit. We just got some new tea from home, please try it."