"Cough, cough..." Mo Li was startled by the intense gazes of the girls and quickly waved his hands. "I already told you—this is just a coincidence..."
Mo Li felt a headache brewing. He couldn't explain the system to them, let alone reveal that Youlandale and the others were originally game characters from another world.
Before Mo Li could come up with an explanation, Mei stepped in to ease the situation.
"Actually... I trust the boss," she said gently.
Ji Zi chuckled, tossing her hair. "I don't mind, but boss, you've been a little unkind, haven't you?"
"Unkind? How so?"
Bronya smirked. "Since you based your characters on us, shouldn't you raise our salaries?"
Mo Li blinked, finally understanding. It wasn't about trust—it was about money. They'd seen the success of Honkai III and were now hoping for higher wages.
While their thoughts amused him, Mo Li wasn't offended. It was natural for people to think this way. Besides, the characters in the game were based on them.
"We're not asking for much, just—" Bronya began, but Mo Li interrupted.
"I understand. And you're right—it's only fair." He smiled. "Do you remember what I said when we first started?"
The girls exchanged glances, trying to recall.
"I told you that once the game became profitable, I'd give everyone dividends. I don't go back on my word."
Hearing this, the girls' cheeks flushed slightly with embarrassment. They hadn't taken Mo Li's words seriously back then, dismissing it as an empty promise.
Bronya cleared her throat. "Boss, about that... We only brought it up because we want to ensure Saving the Girl continues to run smoothly. It's our collective hard work, but running the game requires money."
Mo Li nodded thoughtfully. "I see your point. The gameplay isn't engaging enough to retain players, which is the real issue. Once Honkai III stabilizes, I'll draft some updates and features for your game. You can implement those, and I promise your efforts won't go to waste."
The girls' faces lit up with relief and excitement.
Mo Li's creative genius was evident to them—Honkai III was proof of that. Its novel game modes, cutting-edge operations, and high-quality 3D animation rendered it a success. His assurance gave them confidence.
"Thank you so much, Mr. Mo Li." Mei's soft voice broke the silence as she bowed slightly, her happiness evident.
Ji Zi grinned playfully. "Boss, you're amazing~ How should we repay you?"
"Repay me?" Mo Li rubbed his chin as if in deep thought, and Ji Zi tensed slightly.
Could he be thinking about me?
While Ji Zi was known for her flirty remarks, the idea of Mo Li actually harboring thoughts about her made her nervous.
After a brief pause, Mo Li snapped his fingers. "Got it! Recently, Honkai III has been trending on Douyin, but there are still two weeks until its official launch. To maintain the hype, how about... Miss Ji Zi makes a public appearance?"
Relief washed over Ji Zi's face, though she laughed nervously. She was glad Mo Li wasn't plotting something else.
However, she shook her head. "Boss, that's not going to work. I'm not good with public appearances."
The others chimed in. "We're all camera-shy too..."
Mo Li sighed but didn't push the matter. "Fair enough. I have other ways to keep the buzz going."
"Is there anything else you'd like us to do?" Ji Zi asked, her mischievous tone returning.
Just as Mo Li was about to reply, Gan Yu's phone buzzed in her pocket.
Gan Yu, who typically worked behind the scenes alongside Fu Hua, glanced at the screen. "Sister Youlan, it's that guy again..."
The room fell silent as the girls' faces turned cold, which piqued Mo Li's curiosity.
"What's going on?" he asked.
Bronya scoffed. "It's that annoying investor we met once. He's... unpleasant."
Mo Li raised an eyebrow but stayed silent, waiting for more details.
"Should I answer it?" Gan Yu hesitated, clutching her phone.
"It's your phone," Mo Li pointed out. "Why are you asking me?"
Gan Yu blushed, turning to Bronya for guidance.
"Go ahead. Let's hear what he has to say," Bronya said with a smirk.
Gan Yu nodded, putting the call on speakerphone.
"Miss Youlan, it's me," said a young man's voice.
Bronya scowled. "Ugh, his voice is irritating..."
Youlandale, ever composed, replied flatly. "What do you want?"
The man chuckled. "I'm standing outside your studio. Can we meet?"
"If you have something to say, say it now," Youlandale responded curtly.
"Well then, I'll get straight to the point," the man said confidently. "I believe your studio has great potential, so I'd like to invest two million yuan in it."
The girls exchanged glances, their expressions unreadable.
Was this guy living under a rock? Did he not know about Honkai III? The game had been trending across Douyin, and Mihoyo's logo was prominently displayed everywhere. The studio was clearly on the rise, and he wanted to invest now?
"Mr. Zhao, I'm sorry, but Mihoyo Studio is no longer ours. You should take this up with our new boss," Youlandale said coolly before hanging up.
Mo Li's curiosity deepened. What had this man done to earn such disdain?
The girls' evident dislike for him left him intrigued, though he decided not to press the matter further.