That evening, Ren posted a long-awaited update on Weibo.
"Picca Comics' latest game 'Pokémon Kill' will be released in seven days. Use the voucher in the single-volume manga to enjoy a 10% discount when purchasing the physical tabletop game cards. Welcome to try it out. Pikachu.jpg"
This news left many readers puzzled.
"Aren't you a manga company? Or are you a game company now?"
"I thought this was about a new manga, but it's just game promotion?"
"Can you hurry up with 'Cooking Master Boy'? Now that Madoka is finished, why don't you draw more chapters of Cooking Master Boy each week?"
"This yellow mouse is so cute!!"
"My girlish heart is melting."
Fans began urging for updates.
But Ren ignored them.
In seven days, the system would refresh with new manga. He planned to use this game launch to boost his reputation and see if the new options were good. If all three were great works, he would redeem them.
Seven days passed quickly.
During this time, Jada's Picca Comics put in their best effort to promote "Pokémon Kill."
The scale wasn't massive, as funds were tight, but they managed to get some key platform recommendations, advertised in their magazine, and arranged for some game media to write previews and soft articles.
Having Xena was helpful; otherwise, finding game media would have been difficult.
Although the promotion wasn't as extensive as other games, it received considerable attention.
Loyal readers of "Your Name," "Madoka Magica," and "Cooking Master Boy," along with Picca Comics fans and those drawn by Pikachu's artwork, all downloaded the game.
As the game downloads increased, so did the reviews on the official app.
"This game has great quality. As a loyal card game fan, I finally found a unique card mobile game."
"The game's mechanics impressed me! The roles like villain, boss, investigator are refreshing."
"Indeed, most card games nowadays are cash grabs, making players draw cards, mixing equipment and characters, and some even sneak fragments into the card packs. They really think players are fools?"
"The artwork is fantastic! Just for this cute artwork, I'm sticking with this game! Five stars!"
"I came for the artwork too. Pikachu is so adorable. By the way, who voiced this Pikachu?"
"I bought the physical cards. The card design is amazing, much better than playing on the phone. Physical cards are more fun. Picture.jpg."
"Whoa, there are shiny cards?! I need to buy a set too."
"Hey, just asking quietly, if I buy these cards, will you play with me? If not, I won't buy them. Can't play alone."
Meanwhile, at Picca Comics,
Everyone was monitoring the real-time data of the game.
Seeing the download numbers and reviews, they were very satisfied.
Even though the development team was experienced, the company was still relatively new.
In just two hours after the release, having so many downloads and reviews was already quite good.
They even saw people spending money in the game to buy card skins.
...
In the subway.
Two boys were about to take the subway across the city to go home.
A boy with glasses yawned, took out his phone, and opened "Pokémon Kill."
Although he had just downloaded it today, playing it during class had hooked him with its beautiful artwork and innovative gameplay.
If he had friends nearby, he would have probably bought the physical cards too.
The other boy saw this and took out his phone, "Hey, wanna play some MOBA? I'll help you reach Gold."
"Hah." The boy glanced at him. "Reach Gold? I played with you because I thought you were Diamond, but you used a boosting service and dragged me down to Platinum."
"Come on, let's have fun~"
"No thanks, I'm playing this now."
"What game? Is it fun?"
"'Pokémon Kill' is awesome. Want to play?"
"Sure, send it to me via Bluetooth. I don't have data."
"Alright, let's play together."
...
At a university sports field.
"Sigh… I chickened out again." A boy slowly sat on the steps, looking at a girl in a red jacket in the distance, and sighed.
He had been noticing this girl for a long time.
Through some channels, he found out that his classmate didn't have a boyfriend yet.
He planned to confess to her, but whenever he tried to approach, he felt a heavy weight on him, making him retreat.
"Games are my only solace," he sighed, taking out his phone to play his latest obsession—"Pokémon Kill."
After finishing a game, he suddenly heard a voice.
"Huh? You play this too?"
The unexpected voice made the boy look up, his face turning red as he instinctively moved away.
Because the voice belonged to the girl he liked.
The girl didn't seem to notice his blushing. She leaned in, laughing, "Want to play together? I've been hooked on this game lately. The artwork is so cute!"
She looked up at him, brushing her hair aside. "The artwork is so good, I bought a set of cards. But not many people in our class play. My dorm needs one more person for a 3v3 game. Want to join? Hmm? What's wrong? Is there something on my face?"
"Ah, nothing!" The boy quickly shook his head, suppressing his excitement. "Let's play together! I've been wanting to try the physical cards too."
He couldn't believe it. The girl he never dared to confess to actually approached him because of "Pokémon Kill."
Now he could use the game as an excuse to chat with her and build a friendship.
With time, their hearts would meet, sparking the flames of love!
Three days later.
The boy walked alone, shaking his head. "That girl was so bad at the game. It's better to play alone."
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