"How could something like this happen?"
Mo Li sat motionlessly in front of his computer, his handsome face frozen in shock.
He had just woken up, and for some inexplicable reason, a flood of unfamiliar memories surged into his mind. These memories, vivid and detailed, felt as though they belonged to another version of himself—one who had lived in a completely different world for twenty years.
This other world was called Earth, and while its countries bore uncanny similarities to those of Mo Li's own world, its development had taken an entirely different trajectory.
For one, Earth was a treasure trove of creativity. It had music, games, and movies that were vastly different from anything Mo Li had encountered before.
"League of Legends, Honkai Impact III, Genshin Impact, Sekiro, Resident Evil..." Mo Li murmured, his shock giving way to excitement.
He leaned back in his chair, a smile creeping onto his face. "These ideas have already been proven successful by the market... These memories are pure gold!"
But his excitement was short-lived. Mo Li quickly shook his head. "It's too expensive to create games like these," he muttered.
Take Honkai Impact III, for example. Even a rough estimate of its development cost ran into tens of millions. While Mo Li had some savings, it was nowhere near enough to fund such an ambitious project.
Not to mention, he had no experience in game development.
"Still..." He hesitated, unwilling to let go of the goldmine that had suddenly fallen into his lap.
At that moment, a crisp and mechanical voice echoed in his mind.
[Ding~ The Game Production System has been successfully bound.]
[The novice gift package has been issued.]
[Ding~ Congratulations to the host for gaining game production experience.]
[Ding~ Congratulations to the host for obtaining all content of the game Honkai Impact III, versions 1.0 to 7.0.]
[Ding~ Congratulations to the host for receiving an initial capital of 20 million (restricted to game production).]
Mo Li blinked, stunned. "Wait... Did I just bind a system?"
His disbelief quickly gave way to joy. The flood of information in his memories had already ignited a passion for gaming in him. Now, with the system's assistance, he could make those games himself—and potentially earn a fortune doing so.
Without wasting a moment, Mo Li opened the system panel to review his rewards.
The first thing he did was use the game production experience. In an instant, an overwhelming amount of knowledge poured into his mind, covering everything from coding and graphics design to marketing and game theory.
"This system... It's like a dream come true," he said, marveling at how his understanding of game development had expanded.
He continued exploring the system.
It turned out that Mo Li's path to success hinged on his first game. Popularity was the key. Once his game gained traction, he could use the popularity points earned to unlock additional game packages from the system's mall, starting a cycle of continuous growth.
Fortunately, the system had already prepared the first game's blueprint for him: Honkai Impact III.
"The road to success has already been paved," Mo Li muttered, a confident smile forming on his face.
With newfound determination, he left his office and handed in his resignation letter.
Why work a regular job when he had a system that could make all his dreams come true?
Since Mo Li was still in his internship period after graduating college, his resignation was processed without much hassle. Within hours, he was a free man.
Driving home, Mo Li began planning his next move.
Developing a game, especially one as ambitious as Honkai Impact III, wasn't a one-man job. He needed a team—a studio. The question was whether to create one from scratch or acquire an existing one.
As if reading his thoughts, the system chimed in.
[Ding~ The system has curated a list of potential studios for acquisition.]
Mo Li pulled over and opened the system panel. Sure enough, several options appeared, each accompanied by detailed information.
These were all small studios on the verge of bankruptcy—debt-free but struggling to stay afloat.
Scanning the list, one name caught his eye: Mi Huyou.
"Mi Huyou?" Mo Li frowned, the name sparking recognition.
If his memories from Earth were accurate, MiHoYo was the company that had created Honkai Impact III and Genshin Impact. Could it be a coincidence?
Intrigued, Mo Li clicked on the studio's details.
According to the information, Mi Huyou had developed a tower defense game with a two-dimensional anime art style. However, the game had failed to recoup its development costs after more than six months on the market.
"They're bleeding money," Mo Li noted.
The system's report elaborated that this world's gaming industry was still in its infancy. Most games operated on a point-card subscription model, and the concept of free-to-play games with microtransactions was virtually unheard of.
"That explains why this studio is struggling," Mo Li said, shaking his head.
But this also meant the market was ripe for disruption.
"This world... It's like a blank canvas waiting to be painted on," Mo Li mused, his confidence growing.
He turned his attention back to Mi Huyou.
The studio's founder was a woman named Youlan, and the system had included her photo in the report. When Mo Li saw her picture, his eyes widened in disbelief.
The woman in the photo had white hair styled in a high ponytail and a face so flawless it seemed almost unreal.
"No way... That's Hollander from Honkai Impact III!"
Mo Li rubbed his eyes, convinced he was seeing things. But no matter how many times he looked, the resemblance was undeniable.
"Youlan... Hollander... Could it really be her?"
His curiosity now fully piqued, Mo Li decided to visit the studio in person.
Within an hour, Mo Li was standing in front of Mi Huyou's office building.
The place was modest—far from the sprawling corporate headquarters he remembered from his Earth memories.
Taking a deep breath, he stepped inside.
The receptionist greeted him politely, and after a brief explanation, Mo Li was led to the founder's office.
When the door opened, Mo Li found himself face-to-face with Youlan.
She was even more stunning in person, exuding a sharp, professional aura.
"Mr. Mo, I hear you're interested in acquiring our studio," she said, her voice calm and measured.
Mo Li nodded, doing his best to maintain his composure. "That's right. I've reviewed your work, and I believe your team has incredible potential."
Youlan's expression softened, but there was still a hint of skepticism in her eyes. "And why would you want to invest in a failing studio?"
Mo Li smiled. "Because I believe in innovation. Your game failed not because it was bad, but because this market isn't ready for it. I can help change that."
For the next hour, the two discussed the studio's financial situation and future prospects. By the end of the meeting, Mo Li had successfully negotiated the acquisition of Mi Huyou.
As he left the office that day, the system chimed in once more.
[Ding~ Congratulations to the host for successfully acquiring the studio Mi Huyou.]
[Ding~ The first step toward creating a gaming empire has been completed.]
Mo Li couldn't help but grin. His journey was just beginning, but with the system and his team by his side, he knew he was destined for greatness.