[Yang Hao, you good-for-nothing loser, let’s break up!]
[Please make your choice:]
[1. Beg her forgiveness and promise to make money]
[2. Agree to break up and walk away gracefully]
[3. Use Huabei loan for 10,000 yuan to buy an Apple phone to win her over]
...
Zhou Wang looked at the three options that popped up on his mobile game screen and couldn’t help but grin.
At this moment, Qi Jiayi and Zhong Huilan were having a reunion scene in the living room, so Zhou Wang took Xu Wenqian back to the balcony, giving them some space to be alone.
With nothing else to do, Zhou Wang lay on the lazy chair and remembered the email Jiang Qingkui sent him yesterday. So, he followed the email link and opened up this little game he was playing.
"Boss, what game is this?"
Xu Wenqian, standing by with a glass of iced cola with a straw, would hand it to Zhou Wang for a sip when needed. She looked down at the game interface on Zhou Wang’s phone and couldn’t help but ask curiously.
Because, in her impression, Zhou Wang rarely played mobile games.
"It’s called ’Financial Freedom Begins After Graduation,’ which is the first mobile game developed by Wangzhou Travel Department. It’s still in the internal testing phase, and Vice President Dr. Yan Ruixian sent me the test link to get some feedback."
Zhou Wang casually picked the first option and explained, "Look, this is the opening scene: a girlfriend who has been with you for three years in college wants to break up because you’re poor. According to Dr. Yan, these three branches will lead to different starting routes..."
After Zhou Wang enthusiastically finished explaining, he waited a few seconds and didn’t get any response from Xu Wenqian. He looked up puzzled, only to see her in a daze.
"Wenxi, what’s wrong?"
"I’m fine... It’s just, Boss, isn’t this opening a bit too stereotypical? Not every girl is that realistic, you know. That’s several years of feelings..."
Hearing the slightly disappointed tone in Xu Wenqian’s voice, Zhou Wang was startled for a moment before remembering something.
Xu Wenqian probably remembered her own experiences, which left her slightly dissatisfied...
Realizing this, Zhou Wang gave her a light flick on the head, "Are you Lin Daiyu or something? Getting all emotional over a game. This is a male-oriented farming game. Do you know what male-oriented means?"
"Ouch!"
Xu Wenqian covered her head and said with grievance, "I... I’m just defending the rights of women everywhere, you know."
"Come on, in today’s society, most pressure is on men; it’s a fact. Girls with a bit of beauty and smartness don’t know how good they have it. You’re defending them?"
Zhou Wang rolled his eyes, "And speaking of which, have I wronged you or what? So what about years of feelings? You’ll be stuck with me for decades. If I dump you someday, are you saying you can’t live anymore?"
"Even if you don’t want me, I’m sticking with you... forever."
Xu Wenqian said in a small voice.
"What are you mumbling about?"
"Nothing... Boss, can I play it for a bit?"
"Sure, I’ll send you the link, but remember to fill out the evaluation survey afterward."
Seeing Xu Wenqian brighten up again, Zhou Wang didn’t refuse. He thought for a bit and also sent the link to the group "My Nephews" and some old friends from Yunan Province, asking them to try it out too.
Making games isn’t charity, so the game involves in-game purchases. Since it’s developed under Zhou Wang’s lead, it must be ethical, ensuring the money spent is worthwhile but not exaggerated. Balancing this subtlety is important, and feedback from high-net-worth individuals like Young Master Zhang matters.
"Hey, Boss, why am I starting with a ’wealth value’ of ’-10,000’?"
Xu Wenqian exclaimed, "And wow, Boss, I see your name on the leaderboard! You’ve already become the richest in Tomato Town!"
"The ’Zhou Wang’ there isn’t me; it’s Qingkui."
Zhou Wang twitched at the corner of his mouth, "You chose to give a gift to win back love, so of course you start with ’-10,000.’ Also, there are only five players in the town now; being the richest isn’t hard, is it?"
"Makes sense..."
Xu Wenqian giggled and buried herself in the game while still remembering to occasionally offer the coke to Zhou Wang for a sip.
After a while, there was some activity in the two groups Zhou Wang shared the game link with, especially in the group "We Are Not Old (6)," which was quite lively.
It’s a bit lamentable; as Zhou Wang’s status and position kept rising, his contact with old friends like Liu Zixi and Yang Hao decreased.
Though Zhou Wang’s mindset didn’t change, and he didn’t feel the friendships deteriorated, firstly, his life was busier, and secondly, their treatment of him inevitably changed a bit.
One obvious thing is that while they still chat in the group, the frequency they @Zhou Wang decreased significantly compared to before.
It feels... like they’re afraid of bothering Zhou Wang unnecessarily.
This is an inevitable part of reaching the top; as you rise, those who can keep up with you decrease, much like ancient emperors who ended up lonely—a similar principle, perhaps.
Liu Zixi: "I think it’s quite interesting, more fun than other small games. There seem to be plenty of side paths. I might keep playing, truth be told..."