Days passed.
With the final CG illustration complete and the corresponding audio and subtitles edited, Chen Xu stared at the compiled game files on his screen. His eyes lit up with excitement.
"It's done!"
Ruan Ningxue, sitting beside him, was also visibly moved. She had poured a month of effort into this project—even if Chen Xu hadn't paid her a single cent.
"So… are you looking for a game publisher now?" she asked.
Chen Xu shook his head. "Nope."
Ningxue blinked in surprise. "Huh?"
She didn't know much about games, but even she understood the basics: wasn't this like publishing a comic or releasing a movie? Shouldn't you find a publisher?
Chen Xu smiled and explained, "Games are different. And I'm not targeting a domestic platform. I'm uploading to an official international game platform."
"But that can be accessed from China too. There's just no way around it. It's like publishing books—most of them end up going overseas. 'Magic Mirror' is technically an 18+ game. That kind of content is in a weird grey area."
"Then why make this kind of game at all?" she asked, frowning.
It sounded like the project was doomed before it even launched.
But even with that thought, she couldn't help hoping it would succeed. After all, she'd worked hard on it too—and more than that, her interest in game development had grown since working with Chen Xu.
"I'm playing the long game. I've already prepared for what comes next with Magic Mirror. Just wait for my good news," Chen Xu said with a grin. "When it happens, I'll send you a massive red envelope."
"Fine, I'll be waiting," she said, still confused but trusting his confidence.
Meanwhile, in another part of the city, a woman in jeans and a white shirt leaned against the door of Ruan Ningxue's apartment.
"Xiaoxue, you're really not going to help me? With your art and my game design skills, we could absolutely crush it in this industry!"
Ruan Ningxue handed her a glass of juice and gave her a look. "Sister Xin, no offense, but you've already made three games… and all of them lost money, didn't they?"
Yang Xin laughed awkwardly. "That's in the past! This time will be different—if you help me!"
"Right. And didn't Uncle Yang and your investors say they wouldn't be injecting any more capital if this one flopped too?"
"Cough… by the way, how's your little apprentice's game coming along? Found a publisher yet? I could introduce you to someone."
"No need. Chen Xu said he's uploading directly to an official platform. No publisher."
Yang Xin frowned. "That's risky. Without a third-party publisher, you're at the mercy of the platform's new release algorithm. Unless the game's quality is insane, it won't get any traction."
"He said the new game section on the platform's library is empty, and the game's going on an overseas site," Ningxue recalled aloud.
Yang Xin's eyes narrowed. "No new library listing… overseas platform… 18+ content… So it's that kind of game."
"Well, it's not just that," Ningxue protested. "There's actually a pretty solid story, and it's not some shallow fanservice thing."
"Please. I've been in the industry long enough. If he's relying on sexy art to carry the whole game, it won't get far," Yang Xin said confidently. "No library push, no publisher, no marketing budget—unless he goes viral, it'll disappear without a splash."
Ningxue stared at her. "Then… do you think it can sell more than 50,000 copies?"
"Impossible."
Yang Xin didn't even hesitate. She hadn't seen the game, but the data didn't lie—low-cost indie game, no publisher, 18+ theme, two-person dev team, one of whom used to be a comic artist? Outsourced code?
Yes, adult games always had demand—everyone had those urges—but competition in that space was fierce. Quality mattered.
"There's no way it hits 50,000. But with good art and a low price point, maybe 10,000 copies. That'd be respectable. At least it wouldn't lose money."
She paused, then added proudly, "That's the judgment of a professional game developer."
"…I see," Ningxue said softly, a flicker of doubt on her face.
But deep down, a small part of her still believed in Chen Xu