Game development begins with destroying Girls' Frontline.

Rather than a 2D mobile game, it's more like a large-scale fan-made game.

Aside from the core fans of Touhou Gensokyo...

No... even core fans of Touhou Project would find it difficult to enjoy this game.

In addition, ZUN, unlike Mushroom, doesn't help write the plot.

Therefore, the entire "Records of the Return of the East" was like a firework, quickly disappearing from people's sight.

After that, ZUN seemed to lose interest in licensing mobile games, possibly because he signed a copyright agreement for his second game. In any case, there were no further developments after "Eastern Legend".

This is really a pity.

In Lin Li's view.

The Touhou IP is quite good.

However, it is actually very difficult to make money by simply developing a game based on this IP.

After all, Touhou Project has very few core fans.

Everyone claims to be a fan of the game, but how many of them have actually completed even one of the original games?

Most Gensokyo fans are casual fans.

I was drawn here by the abundance of derivative works.

To succeed in adapting this kind of game, you need to have a solid foundation.

This IP is more of a bonus than something you can rely on to make a living.

If the game itself isn't high-quality, it will only have a fleeting appearance on the charts of various mobile games, like "Dongfang Guiyanlu"...

"So it seems that ZUN has already wavered."

After listening to Yao Meng recount ZUN's recent condition and their conversation, Lin Li came to a conclusion.

"He's coming today too, let's go pay him a visit..."

"As long as ZUN is willing to release the copyright to me, we can use a portion of the revenue from Touhou IP games to fund the operation of this fan game platform, supporting its development. He can also participate in the platform's operation, and the foundation can even be named after him..."

Since some people don't care about money, then give them fame.

I'm not afraid of you making requests, I'm afraid of you not making any requests.

Lin Li is very proactive.

After understanding the situation, they left without hesitation.

He went directly with Yao Meng to visit ZUN, and the two had a relatively pleasant conversation.

ZUN actually has a lot of respect for Lin Li.

As mentioned before, this is due to the success of FGO and Battlefront Girls in Japan.

Japanese gaming magazines frequently compare FGO and Battlefront Girls with games from domestic mobile game developers.

Public intellectuals are not unique to China.

Japan also has it.

Selling anxiety and sensationalism is common everywhere.

Objectively speaking, this makes Lin Li a semi-legendary figure in Japan.

After chatting for a while...

Lin Li expressed his stance, especially after stating that the foundation could be named after ZUN.

Although ZUN repeatedly declined on the surface, his agitated emotions betrayed him.

So Lin Li struck while the iron was hot. After reaching some preliminary agreements with ZUN, he kept Yao Meng behind and had him discuss the details and contracts directly with ZUN.

He then went to other places.

Today is destined to be a busy day for Lin Li.

But even though it's busy, it's rewarding.

Chapter 157 You're going to the Maldives too?

By the time I had finished talking to everyone I needed to communicate with personally, it was already evening.

The annual meeting of Spark Games should be starting soon.

Actually, Lin Li didn't plan to do it at first.

Because there are too many people.

If a thousand people are just having a meal, that's easy to manage. Lin Lixuan's hotel is on a relatively large island, and the several restaurants combined can easily accommodate a thousand people.

But if we want to accommodate a thousand people dining at the same time...

That would put a lot of pressure on you.

Lin Li wasn't really into these kinds of fancy things, but he eventually changed his mind after being persuaded by Su Shanshan.

"Annual meetings aren't entirely abstract; they're a form of ritual. In games, you know to create holiday storylines and events for players, so why don't you do them in real life?"

Lin Li thought about it and realized that it made sense.

Since we're already here, we might as well spend a little more of the budget.

After some planning, Spark Games set up a large-scale event on an open space by the island.

Since it was an outdoor meal, the Spark Games project team handled everything themselves, including mosquito control, site preparation, stage construction, and lighting.

In fact, a company's execution ability can be seen from these details.

The entire annual meeting was divided into a front and back session.

The front table is from 5:30 to 6:30 pm. While the sun is shining brightly, you can enjoy the sea breeze and the sunset while having a happy meal.

Then the annual meeting program will start at 6:30.

Lin Li didn't participate in the specifics of how it was done; he only gave the instruction to award more prizes, and the budget was sufficient.

Because they hadn't been involved in the planning of the annual meeting, Lin Li and Su Shanshan were genuinely surprised when they arrived at the venue.

---

Sunlight spilled onto the shimmering sea, making it appear as if countless blue gems were leaping and sparkling.

The sea breeze carries the salty scent of the sea, bringing coolness and vitality.

On the beach, colorful flags fluttered in the wind, and colorful balloons dotted the landscape.

The main stage for the annual meeting was set up on a beach near the sea, with the shimmering blue ocean behind it and a seemingly endless array of round tables and chairs in front.

By this time, quite a few people had already arrived at the scene.

The crowd thronged, their voices blending into a lively melody that mingled with the gentle lapping of the waves, creating a unique atmosphere.

There were also many stalls and vendors around the scene, all set up by the employees of Xinghuo Games.

The entire event was less like an annual meeting.

It's more like a large-scale festival event.

This scene reminded Lin Li of the festive atmosphere he saw when the protagonist of BioShock 3 first went to heaven.

Don't say it.

It really does feel right.

The weather is especially nice today, with a gentle sea breeze and a clear blue sky.

With beautiful scenery, a great venue, and a lively atmosphere, it's hard not to be in a good mood.

Lin Li walked forward, greeting people as he went, heading towards his seat.

As Lin Li approached his location, he passed by the spot where the mushrooms were.

At that moment, Mushroom was taking a picture and posting it on Twitter.

"Mr. Lin, this scene is truly spectacular! Thank you for your hospitality."

"Haha, this scene is also thanks to you. If it weren't for the great success of the story you wrote for FGO, we wouldn't be able to gather here."

Everyone likes to hear nice things, and mushrooms are no exception.

Although he knew that Lin Li's changes within the overall system framework were far more important than his role in the plot, it didn't stop him from laughing and shaking hands with Lin Li.

After chatting and laughing for a bit, Mushroom still managed to vent a little, which was quite unusual for him.

"Working with Xinghuo is generally a pleasant experience, but after each submission, the reviewers always seem to ask me to make some strange revisions..."

"Haha, I'll go back and talk to the person who's reviewing it."

Lin Li responded to Mushroom's吐槽 with a smile, and then planned to say hello to Shiokawa when he had time, to keep a close watch on Mushroom, and not to let her come up with any more disgusting things like "Lion Lady".

The copywriting for Mushroom is good, but it definitely needs multiple rounds of review...

After chatting with Mushroom for a few minutes, Lin Li returned to his seat.

His arrival was actually about to begin.

Shortly after we sat down...

The first half of the annual meeting officially began.

The annual meeting began with a few chimes that seemed to come from nowhere.

~~~

The 3-day Maldives trip has come to an end.

Many of the employees of Spark Games.

When I flew back to my hometown, I was still immersed in the atmosphere of the annual meeting.

Paid travel, year-end bonus, plus a lucky draw at the annual party.

It's fair to say that he's quite satisfied with his job.

Meanwhile, the posts these employees made on social media also brought an unexpected boost to Spark Games.

That is, the HR lady found that recruiting people suddenly became much easier.

Many people who had been contacted years ago but hadn't made a decision have now started calling to inquire after this annual meeting.

17 was also the year when WeChat Moments was at its peak.

The moment the post about the Maldives was shared on WeChat Moments, almost every employee of Spark Games received dozens or even hundreds of likes.

The game development industry in Shanghai is both large and small.

The fact that Xinghuo Games' nearly 1,000 employees and their families have a WeChat Moments that could cover all game industry professionals in Shanghai is a bit of an exaggeration, but it's definitely enough to cover a small portion of them.

Moreover, this is only direct transmission.

There's also that kind.

"Hey, did you hear? The Starfire Games annual meeting went to the Maldives, each person spent tens of thousands, and also won hundreds of thousands in prizes..."

"Hey, have you heard? Spark Games lets you take your whole family to the Maldives, stay in a five-star hotel, and win a million-dollar prize."

"Have you heard? The Maldives, a luxury cruise ship, the first prize is a Panamera!"

Compared to various job postings.

The social media presence of Spark employees, and the resulting publicity, was actually stronger.

Especially when everyone else is on holiday while you're still working overtime...

That's something I'm really envious of the more I look at it.

The more I looked, the less I could stay.

---

Lin Li also posted on WeChat Moments while in the Maldives.

Under this post on WeChat Moments, Dawei from miHoYo, Chen Rui from Bilibili, Yuwan from Manjiu Network, and even some friends from Chongqing, such as those from Tencent, NetEase, and Seasun, all liked it.

David's comment also included an interesting anecdote.