This star just wants to learn.

"Fluffing cotton..."

Pu Tong stroked the zither with both hands, made a rather exaggerated wrist flick, and then shook his head and pretended to be "intoxicated".

"What are you yelling about? It's awful."

Yu Wanwan and her friends, who were doing practice problems nearby, strongly complained, saying that even with their hands covered in bandages, he still wouldn't stop, he was really annoying.

They didn't understand Pu Tong's abstract ideas, and even thought he was a bit of a fool. Guzheng, you're turning people into ghosts!
"I just thought you were tired from studying, so I played the zither to cheer you up."

Pu Tong was just thinking about how to explain this to them. He was participating in the competition to steal someone away, and it would be inconvenient to "bring a family along."
It would seem strange to say this outright, but going abroad to kidnap a blonde, blue-eyed little girl, huh? You've got guts, kid...

Just as he was pondering how to make the arrangements in a tactful way, a steady knocking sound came from outside.

"Boss, are you busy right now?"

Upon hearing Gu Ning's tentative question, Pu Tong immediately took it seriously.

It's worth noting that Gu Ning, as his agent and the actual operator of Kepu Entertainment, has always been very capable and quite sensible.

Normally, she rarely bothers Pu Tong, let alone at such a crucial time when he's in seclusion practicing the piano. Gu Ning coming to see her at this time clearly means she's encountered something major that she can't handle.

If even she couldn't handle it, it certainly wasn't a minor incident. Pu Tong didn't dare to be negligent and quickly let her in.

Yu Wanwan and the others were not outsiders, and Gu Ning didn't hide anything when she entered the room, quickly explaining the current situation.

Simply put, a financial crisis.

However, it's not that a crisis has already occurred, but rather that there is a certain possibility.

With "Werewolf" continuing to operate and "Plants vs. Zombies" maintaining stable popularity, the company's cash flow is fine, except... it can't withstand the spending.

Young people often make games without thinking, but once they established themselves in the game market, their team wanted to create a flagship game.

At Pu Tong's suggestion, they began developing an "open world + high-difficulty combat" game, which obviously cost a lot of money, sir.

Just setting up the technology platform was already a bit of a financial burden for Gu Ning, and in order to control the risks, she had to ask Pu Tong for his opinion.

In fact, if the status quo is maintained, there shouldn't be any problem with the funds lasting until the game testing phase. However, the market is constantly changing, and no one can guarantee that subsequent returns won't decrease.

You could certainly make a game by throwing all your money into it, but whether you can make a profit is another story...

Pu Tong has always prioritized stability. There's really no need to gamble on this kind of thing. The company is steadily improving. Wouldn't it be foolish to risk everything for no reason?

However, giving up is not an option. Not to mention dampening everyone's enthusiasm, we can't just let something we've worked on for half a year go to waste.

"Let's put it on hold for now."

Technically, this is called "encapsulation and freezing." Simply put, it means prioritizing cash flow over ideals, and only considering other things once you have sufficient resources.

This situation is actually quite common. Many masterpieces are the result of years of hard work. You can't rush things.

"understood."

In fact, Gu Ning had already guessed that Pu Tong would say that. She came here specifically to ask about the next strategic move.

With their original business put on hold, they needed to find new jobs to practice on. The company offered such good benefits, and they were itching to show off their skills while they were idle.

Everyone's needs are also very clear: the best products are those that are quick to make, low in cost, and can make a lot of money, because they want to earn money for their "unborn children"!
With the cash flow unstable right now, wouldn't it be more stable if another big money-maker came along? Tech enthusiasts can't wait.

It's hard to imagine that these three words—short time, low cost, and profitable—can all appear in one game at the same time.

If it were any other professional, they would be stunned to hear this request. It's like a pie falling from the sky, right? Just send the money directly!

But the company's core members believe that Pu Tong has the ability. He has promised everyone a lot before, so who knows if he has any more brilliant ideas?
"So greedy, are you trying to make fun of me?" Iori Yukino, standing nearby, rolled her eyes at him, but didn't say anything more. The assistant was there; she should give President Pu some face…

Gu Ning felt a little embarrassed upon hearing this; their request seemed a bit excessive.

Pu Tong actually remembers quite a few games that can make money with low cost. The game market is never short of dark horses that can make big profits with small investments, but choosing which one to pick is a real headache for him.

These three requirements seem to suggest that the difficulty lies in making big money at low cost, but the real challenge is actually making quick money in a short period of time.

Many small games can stand out from the crowd because of their meticulous quality. Don't be fooled by their low cost; they really can't be made without a lot of time and effort.

As for those poorly made mini-games, they make money quickly, but they damage their reputation. It's not easy for them to get started, and making money this way is somewhat like killing the goose that lays the golden eggs.

He wanted to earn money while standing up.

Just as Pu Tong was racking his brains trying to figure out what to do, he looked down and subconsciously noticed the band-aid on his hand...

Why doesn't he make rhythm games?

It makes perfect sense for someone who plays music to make a rhythm game!
Pu Tong actually remembers a low-budget indie rhythm game that only required controlling one button, and the graphics were quite simple, featuring only a red fire ball and a blue glacier ball...

A Dance of Fire and Ice, a hardcore one-button rhythm game.

Single-button operation and hardcore gameplay may seem unrelated, but that is precisely the most creative aspect of this game. The barrier to entry is extremely low, while the ceiling for mastery is incredibly high.

Anyone can learn to press the buttons, but the BPM of 190+, the serpentine curves, the hairpin spins, the speed changes... can completely torture people to tears.

Pu Tong recalled some unpleasant memories, but that was precisely his purpose—he couldn't be the only one practicing the piano until his hands cramped up.

Let me share your pain!

After his brief introduction, Gu Ning quickly understood the game's selling point: it was challenging yet addictive.

This design is quite similar to the challenging open-world games they've created; it just goes to show that Pu Tong knows how to torment his fans.

The contrast between the perception that "it's so difficult to press just one button" and the reality that it's so difficult is indeed easy to spread widely.

Pu Tong nodded upon hearing this. The game may seem simple, but it is actually quite difficult to make. The rhythm and feedback of the hits are very important in rhythm games.

However, these things can only be worked on by Gu Ning and the others; I can't afford to do that right now, at most I can only recreate some classic charts.

"Sister Ning, you'll definitely be fine."

The classic hands-off boss...

"alright."

Gu Ning sighed helplessly upon hearing this. What else could she say? The boss was busy winning glory for the country, so she had to work hard.

Although it was tiring, at least she had a direction. Her intuition told her that as long as she could make this game well, even a half-finished, high-difficulty game would definitely become a hit.

Players get used to it after a while, they keep getting beaten up.

Thinking of this, Gu Ning instantly smiled again and got up to work on the project proposal overnight.

Seeing how hard Gu Ning worked, Pu Tong immediately decided to bestow upon her the title of "Liver Gu"...

"Cotton fluffing!"

"Get out of here!" (End of Chapter)