The conclusion of "Madoka Magica" solidified Ren's position in the manga industry.
He was now just a step away from becoming a third-tier celebrity. A few more new works or having his works adapted into anime or winning awards could elevate him to that status.
Ren was now known for many things, like 'sister-killer demon' and 'rising star in the manga world.'
After all, Ren had only debuted this year, yet his works had gained significant attention.
This year, he announced his presence with three works.
"The Magic Roundabout" and "Madoka Magica" had already ended and made a huge impact. Another work, "Cooking Master Boy," was still ongoing, and even though Ren was no longer the artist, he provided the script.
So many people called him a genius.
But none of that mattered much to him now.
A new day began, and Ren was still in bed when he felt a tickle on his face.
"Mmm..." he murmured, slowly opening his eyes.
"Little White, is that you?"
A dog's head appeared in Ren's view, its tongue licking his face.
"Woof!"
Seeing Ren wake up, Little White barked, wagging his tail vigorously. He jumped off the bed, picked up a leash from the floor, and circled around a few times before looking up at Ren and barking again, tongue out, seemingly expectant.
"Yueyue didn't take you for a walk?"
Seeing this, Ren realized what was going on. He scratched his head, got up, and decided to find Yueyue.
Having a dog means taking it for walks. When Little White first arrived, Yueyue was diligent about walking him, but now?
Ever since she started learning dance, she seemed to have forgotten all about it.
Not just the walks, but also the daily chores like cleaning and feeding Little White.
Ren went to Yueyue's room. She was still sleeping, so Ren patted her shoulder, "Yueyue, wake up. Take Little White for a walk."
"Mmm..." Yueyue frowned, covered her head, and burrowed deeper into the blankets, clearly intent on sleeping in.
"Yueyue, you promised to take good care of Little White, remember?" Ren's tone became stern.
Honestly, whether Yueyue took Little White for walks wasn't a big deal to Ren since he usually accompanied them anyway.
But it's important to teach children to keep their promises.
She had promised to take good care of Little White. How long had it been since she forgot?
"Just a little longer..." Yueyue grumbled, snuggling further into her blanket.
Sighing, Ren looked down at Little White wagging his tail at his feet. "Looks like it's just you and me for the walk again."
But he felt he should discuss this with Jada.
Ren squatted down, attached the leash to Little White, and took him for a walk.
During the walk, Ren received a phone call informing him to pick up the Pokémon Kill cards.
Ren had made two versions of Pokémon Kill: one online and one as a tabletop game.
Although the internet is highly developed, tabletop games still have a large market because they offer strong interaction.
It's about the atmosphere.
Like watching a movie: even though you can watch it online, many people prefer the cinema for the crowd, the atmosphere, and the big screen.
Or like playing mahjong: there are apps for it, but during the New Year, when family gathers to play, you don't see people sitting around playing on their phones.
Obviously not.
And physical cards make money. They wear out quickly and are cheap to make. Just think of how much money Three Kingdoms Kill made from physical cards.
...
After picking up the new cards, Ren gathered his assistants and Yueyue at home to play Pokémon Kill.
Claire blinked her eyes. "Pokémon Kill?"
"Yeah, that's it." Ren took out the cards he had them draw earlier. "The cards you drew were for this game. It's our company's game, and besides the tabletop version, it's also available on PC and mobile. Let me explain the rules."
"In the game, there are four roles: Team Rocket Boss, Alliance Investigator, Team Rocket Grunt, and Undercover."
"The Team Rocket Boss and Grunts aim to eliminate the Alliance Investigators and the Undercover. The Alliance Investigators aim to destroy Team Rocket. The Undercover needs to eliminate everyone except the Team Rocket Boss, including other Undercover."
"Each player randomly draws a role card at the start. The player who draws the Team Rocket Boss reveals their identity. The other identities are kept secret."
"Then, each player takes health cards. The Boss gets an extra health point. Everyone draws four cards as their starting hand."
"There are six phases each turn: preparation, judgment, draw, action, discard, and end."
After explaining for about five minutes, Ren smiled, "That's it for now. You'll understand more after a few rounds. Yueyue, did you get it?"
Since Yueyue was still young, Ren was a bit worried.
"I got it!!!" Yueyue was eager.
She seemed to have completely forgotten about being upset with her dad earlier.
Seeing her excitement, Ren smiled.
See, he was smart. She had already forgotten about being mad at him.
And now he could take the chance to show off his skills and tease his little girl!
With this in mind, Ren's smile became more sinister.
"I want Pikachu!! Waaah! I want Pikachu!!"
Even before starting, Yueyue began whining.
She was supposed to choose one Pokémon from three cards, but her luck seemed bad as she only drew cards like Muk, Beedrill, and Fearow.
The cute-loving Yueyue wouldn't accept this and threw a tantrum.
"Alright, alright, you can have Pikachu."
Being adults, they didn't mind giving her Pikachu.
They thought, she's just a kid. How good could she be? They wouldn't lose to a little girl, right?
Then...
They were flustered and overwhelmed.
Ren was stunned.
This wasn't right. He planned to use this chance to tease Yueyue, but she beat him?
The others were also stunned, watching Yueyue clap her hands in victory. They gritted their teeth and continued playing.
In the second round, Ren, as the Boss, was taken down by Yueyue, the Undercover.
In the third round, Yueyue, as the Boss, defeated both the Undercover and the Investigator.
...
After ten rounds, Yueyue looked at them disdainfully, "You guys are so bad! I don't want to play with you anymore!"-
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