Midnight, 12 AM sharp!
Dim lights in the Seattle Cedar Heights studio.
The girl had just showered.
Now, she sat at her old vanity, staring at her reflection.
Messy black hair, water dripping from the ends.
Her bare face—half-hidden—was stunning.
Big eyes glistening with tears, she looked like a beauty wrecked by some jerk, scrubbed raw but still stained with shame.
None other.
Zoey Parker.
Yeah, she was wrecked—by Gus Harper.
More like, mentally crushed by him.
Ever since!
The lower half of Titanfall dropped!
Zoey hadn't slept a wink!
This thing blew up!
WindyPeak Games used to be a quiet little studio—news was buried in obscure reports unless you hunted it.
So, when Phasmophobia dropped, the "reviews" shocked 'em.
But now!
Especially now!
One-against-three odds!
WindyPeak was media gold—everyone hyping it!
Reviews poured in from game outlets!
No need for Victor Lang to pull strings for coverage!
Tables turned!
For Zoey, WindyPeak news shifted from "hunt it" to "it hunts you"!
Meaning, day one of Titanfall's lower half drop!
She knew it was bad!
Game's back half? Just three hours—news exploded that night!
Gaming media swarmed like sharks!
"Titanfall & Pacific Rim" topped gaming/entertainment trends!
Eighth last time!
Fifth now!
Zoey's head buzzed!
She'd hoped Titanfall's back held the front's level.
Nah, she didn't dare wish for a flop—just no mind-blowers, she'd settle.
But!
Worst-case hit.
Hot mech fights fired players up, deep boss battles peaked BT bonds.
Then, tragic end caps the epic.
But wait—Easter egg teases spin-offs.
Zoey couldn't predict that.
Even Nebula's battle-hardened execs would call it "next-level."
103% platform attach rate.
Folks without cabins owned the game.
Under that crush, Zoey held off checking the system a week, nightmares nightly.
Gus Harper, Chloe Quinn, IndieVibe, rival studios…
Gaming world bullies me 'cause I'm old and powerless, takin' turns congratin' me on success.
Zoey freaked!
Zoey worried!
Zoey tossed!
Zoey sleepless!
Zoey knew she was doomed again.
That's why she avoided the system, ostrich-style, waiting for the axe.
Today!
Final settlement day!
Zoey cracked!
Peeked the system, checking last-day loss room.
Opened—bam, "estimated rebate" zeroed.
Project: Titanfall
Project Investment: $170M
Settlement Time: 14 days (+1 day)
Rebate Rate: 10x (+1x)
Current Revenue: $170M (858,586 units)
Expected Rebate: $0
Time Left: 23 hours, 59 minutes, 59 seconds…
Yeah.
Her early gamble stretched settlement +1 day, hoping luck.
Titanfall profited big.
But!
So what?
Even without that day!
Even one second early, one less sale!
$198 minus $28, net loss $170, 11x rebate = $1870.
What's that buy?
Not even rent.
Zoey silent half-minute!
Mouth agape, head-scratching.
Laugh? Nah. Cry? Nope.
Facing Titanfall's half-month profit fact, no clue what face to make.
She ruffled hair, paced the tiny bedroom five times!
Couldn't wrap her head!
Like fate's unfair, or life's prank, Zoey raised hands—confused, unwilling, baffled.
Ask the blanket, curtains, blasting AC!
Staggered like a soul-sucked zombie to the mirror.
"Hey—hey—!"
She quizzed sky and earth, or herself:
"This biz!"
"…Who's really losing money?"
"This game dev biz!"
"…Who can even lose?!"
"Uh?"
"No matter how lucky I am… I can't… I can't profit from PUBG to Titanfall, right?"
"I'm too damn lucky!"
"…You can't sell $170M in 15 days, right? Huh?"
"So… so this biz…"
"This gaming biz…"
"Who's actually losing money? Huh???"
…
"It's us! Us! Us again! Damn us!!!"
SLAM!
Meanwhile!
Nebula video call in progress!
Ethan Caldwell, at his study desk, pounded the table!
Just now!
Somatosensory cabin war week-two sales out!
Data: Polar Bear 3 global sales hit 500,103 units after two weeks.
Vs. IndieVibe X2's 830k—300k short, a third less!
"We're the ones tankin' cabin sales!"
"We're the ones with crap game rep!"
"We're the ones lagin' in revenue!"
"Keep this up, we're crushed!"
On call, Ethan raged at his ex-top directors—Zenith, Radiant, StarWolf FPS leads—venting fury!
"Me, Nebula Games! Top US gaming powerhouse!"
"Without shady tricks, we're stuck?!"
Words out!
Call dead silent!
Even Ethan gaped, lost for words.
Ethan hurt!
Yeah!
Parker's kid raged before, proving she's no biz mascot.
But!
Warning just banned cheats—leveled the field!
She didn't bite back, no dirtier plays!
Just seized their tools, fair start for both!
Meaning!
Ethan Caldwell, gaming vet through storms!
Lost fair-and-square to Zoey Parker, gaming newbie!
And!
Broke through his three-way siege!
What's Ethan say?
Our side weak?
Nah.
They had legacy FPS hits, trendy sequels, crafted story gems.
No WindyPeak?
Fury and NeoSpark's IndieVibe would've lost new-gen FPS cabin market, handing absolute lead!
But nope!
WindyPeak.
Tiny studio under $500M, flipped tides with $170M game vs. giants!
Not their fault.
Gus Harper's genius? God-tier.
Like from another world, hauling wild games to wreck this one.
Dimensional crush terrifying.
Post-Titanfall, Ethan's fear edged to Stockholm worship!
Years in games, never seen this!
Studio nuts!
Gus nuts, brain abnormal—nails genres, underdog wins easy as pie!
Zoey nuts-er. Knew studio tiny vs. bigs, but kept Gus battling, "can't lose this time" vibe, no bankruptcy fear, blind Gus trust, clashing titans!
Crazier than each other!
Gus high, Zoey hard, WindyPeak high and hard!
Ethan sighed.
Two puzzle pieces.
Awkward alone.
But matched, form full pic—gaming world bosses.
Tiny odds scared Ethan.
From Zoey's view? Bone-chill shiver.
For her, one right pick: Gus.
Anyone else—newb or vet—her death-march playstyle tanks all.
Not three-on-one, WindyPeak dies pre-IndieVibe Indie Game Fest!
Ethan sighed!
Fate's timing!
Some joy, some pain!
Maybe now, Zoey's OT-ing Gus reward plans, locking that star performer…
…
"Eat my fist, jerk! Hey!"
WHAM!
Zoey gripped Gus tight.
Physically.
Clutching a big husky pillow—dog head swapped for Gus's pic—punching, kicking.
Cabin echoed bangs.
Poor 'Gus' hammered, head wobbling, twisted.
Finally, panting Zoey raised her foot—kick!
THUD!
Husky 'Gus' spun thrice mid-air, crashed down.
"Huff… Huff… Huff…"
Vent session!
Zoey collapsed spread-eagle on bed, gasping.
Billion to $700M, $700M to $300M, finally $300M gone.
Dreamed rich-woman return.
But!
Gus flexed skills, cashed in big!
One game wrecked her baller dreams.
Stuck in this cramped rental awhile.
Sigh…
Zoey eyed yellow ceiling, sighed.
But hey, she was too optimistic on market then.
Media, IndieVibe, even Nebula—all downplayed this cheap escort title, no shot vs. heavies.
Treated as filler, dark horse ignored—Zoey misjudged, skimmed Gus's thick plan, let him run wild.
So…
Zoey's brows furrowed.
Gotta direct next one myself.
Yeah!
Was gaming noob, hot-headed orders.
Now? Year-plus in, seen wins/losses!
Even meta: Newb luck phase over!
So, back in saddle!
Cull gems, grab dregs, regroup, strike back!
With that!
Zoey inhaled deep, confidence back!
Setbacks built grit—bouncing faster.
"System,"
Mind-call summoned.
"Settle Titanfall. Road's long, focus ahead."
Early profit settle.
v1.0 feature: Profit docs past base time, in extra, host settles early.
Titanfall in +1 day extra, Zoey can early-settle.
Nothing left anyway, keeping it just hurts.
But as Zoey prepped!
Ding!
System chimed!
Project Profit Detected!
Investment Rebate System v1.0 - New Feature ④ Unlocked!
"Project Extra Derivative Investment" Enabled!
Hiss—!!!
Zoey jolted, leaped from bed!
Right!
v1.0 upgrade hid a feature—"unlock post-settle"!
System pinged, almost forgot!
Last feature unlocks full v1.0!
Zoey hyped, read details!