Chapter 256: From Browser Game to Mobile Game—Officially Launched!
Lin Chang quickly replied, "President Pei, impressive! I honestly thought you were just playing around with that bit of money, but I didn't expect you to single-handedly grow a tech-channel account with over 600,000 followers in just a month!"
"Looks like you're not only good at making games—you've got real talent for social media too."
Pei Qian felt like saying "heh."
At first, I was just playing around with that money. I didn't expect the follower count to blow up this fast either…
Before Pei Qian could reply, Lin Chang sent another message.
Lin Chang: "Actually, this time it's my older sister who wants to thank you."
Pei Qian: "?"
After a quick search, Pei Qian remembered reading in a file that Lin Chang's older sister, Lin Yu, was in charge of the smartphone division at Shenhua Corporation.
Another big shot.
But one thing puzzled him—Lin Yu was in charge of Shenhua's phone division, which was basically the company's core business. Why would that have anything to do with him?
Lin Chang: "Do you still remember the first three videos you posted?"
"Shenhua's phones have always had top-notch build quality, but online, whenever Shenhua phones are mentioned, there's always a ton of irrational fans and paid trolls smearing them."
"Even though many review channels have tested Shenhua phones, it never really helps. People who like them still like them, and people who dislike them still claim the reviewers were paid off."
"But your 'hardcore test' videos were different. That kind of straightforward, brutal testing instantly showcased how solidly built Shenhua phones are every bit as good as the foreign brands!"
"Even though you smashed a Shenhua phone, the overall impact was very positive. I actually saw Shenhua's official account repost the video. When I noticed the familiar-looking host, I realized it was you, President Pei."
"So I told my sister about it, and she was thrilled. She said she owes you one and definitely wants to thank you properly."
Pei Qian: "…"
So that's what happened.
He hadn't expected that casually smashing a phone would lead to such a complicated chain of events.
Pei Qian replied, "Strictly speaking, that's all thanks to Shenhua's excellent build quality. I wasn't thinking that deeply when I smashed it."
"No need to thank me. After all, the 'Hardcore Review' budget came from you, Brother Lin."
He could tell that Lin Yu's idea of gratitude probably involved something material—but he didn't plan to accept it.
For one, he really hadn't done much and would feel guilty taking the money.
Besides, as long as this project successfully loses money, what's a few tens of thousands to him?
He did have a system, after all. Always taking handouts from others just didn't feel right.
President Pei had his pride too.
Lin Chang: "You're too polite. Intentional or not, you helped us a great deal, and my sister insists on showing her appreciation."
"She wants to make sure you get the first batch of any new Shenhua products."
"Oh no, actually—two units. You can use one and smash the other."
"Also, she'd like to send you a 100,000 yuan thank-you fee. I'll transfer it to the same account as last time."
"After all, Lin Wan has been under your care lately."
Just as Pei Qian suspected.
The mention of one hundred thousand made him waver for a moment—but he quickly resisted the temptation.
He could take it, but there was no need.
Pei Qian replied, "You're really too kind. Lin Wan's been working diligently and sincerely—I haven't done much to help. It's all thanks to her own effort."
"How about transferring that 100,000 directly to Lin Wan instead? She's been working hard and has really helped lighten my load."
And so, Pei Qian skillfully redirected the 100,000 yuan that Lin Yu meant for him straight to Lin Wan.
After all, Lin Wan had just made a major contribution—successfully losing eight million for him.
That hundred thousand yuan—let the Lin family handle it internally.
It took Lin Chang a while to reply.
"President Pei, you must have known my sister and Lin Wan don't get along well. So, you're using this chance to ease their relationship a bit, right?"
Pei Qian: "?"
What are you even talking about? You're overthinking this! That wasn't my intention at all!
But Lin Chang went on, talking to himself, "President Pei is truly considerate."
"I can use this as an excuse to help smooth things over between them."
"In that case, I'll gladly accept your goodwill, President Pei. I owe you one. If there's ever anything you need help with in the future, just say the word."
Pei Qian: "…Alright."
He didn't really understand what just happened, but it felt like he'd somehow triggered a hidden side quest.
Whatever—it was their family business anyway.
President Pei only cared about one thing: how to lose money.
After exchanging a few more polite messages, their conversation finally ended.
Pei Qian mulled over what Lin Chang had said earlier, feeling like something didn't quite add up—though he couldn't pinpoint what.
"Lin Yu and Lin Wan don't get along? But Lin Wan seems to have a good relationship with her two brothers. So that means Lin Yu sides more with their father?"
"In that case, Lin Yu must really want Lin Wan to give up on the gaming industry and go back to inherit the family business."
"If so… then technically, Lin Yu and I are on the same team. Maybe we'll even have a chance to cooperate later."
"Alright, let's just call this a goodwill gesture for now."
Pei Qian didn't dwell on it any further and happily went back to Turn Back Before It's Too Late to continue his painful gaming session.
. . .
Shangyang Games
Lin Wan was scrolling through the forums.
Player opinions on Blood War Anthem: Enhanced Edition were all over the place—some praised it to the heavens, some bashed it mercilessly, and many offered suggestions.
Still, most veteran players were supportive of the game.
But after reading for a while, Lin Wan realized that none of the posts contained any truly useful feedback.
She let out a soft sigh.
Players always had suggestions—tons of them—but the vast majority were unrealistic.
Instead of wasting time reading unreliable ideas, she might as well think carefully about what President Pei had said and try to grasp the deeper meaning behind his words.
"President Pei said that when the time is right, a turning point will naturally come."
"But for Blood War Anthem: Enhanced Edition, what exactly is that 'time'?"
"When will that turning point come?"
"And what if it never comes? Do we just let the game keep losing money forever?"
Lin Wan felt her head throb. She had no clue what to do.
Although President Pei had given her a direction, that direction was far too vague—she had no idea what steps to take.
As the project director, she could once again feel the weight of responsibility pressing down on her shoulders.
Just as she was lost in thought, her phone rang.
It was a call from Lin Chang.
"Hello? Big bro? What's up?"
Lin Wan's train of thought was interrupted, and she sounded a little annoyed.
Lin Chang chuckled. "Nothing serious. Our sister wanted to give President Pei a hundred thousand as a thank-you fee, but President Pei asked me to pass it on to you instead. Your bank account's still the same, right? I'll have someone send it over in a bit."
Lin Wan frowned immediately and flatly refused. "I don't want it!"
"I can earn my own money now—I don't need Lin Yu's. And besides, wasn't that supposed to be a thank-you for President Pei? Why are you giving it to me?"
Lin Chang hurriedly explained, "President Pei said you've been working hard and making great contributions lately, so he wanted you to have it. You shouldn't refuse his kind gesture."
"Also, you and our sister have been cold toward each other for too long. President Pei thought transferring this money to you might help the two of you patch things up a little."
That only made Lin Wan more displeased. "Bro, I think you're reading way too much into it. President Pei probably just doesn't care about a mere hundred thousand yuan. And Lin Yu—seriously, she calls it a thank-you gift but can't even do that properly. How stingy can she be?"
"In any case, I don't need the money. You can take it back."
Lin Chang was a little speechless. "Fine, if you don't want the money, maybe take something else then. I had dinner with our sister a few days ago, and I could tell she still cares about you. Don't stay mad forever, okay?"
Lin Wan paused for a moment before replying, "I understand. But honestly, there's nothing I need. The conditions here are great—my salary and bonuses are more than enough. I appreciate the thought though, so please thank her for me."
"Wait, wait," Lin Chang said after thinking for a bit. "Your company makes games, right? Lin Yu's phone division is working on revamping Shenhua's app store. Why don't you put a few of Tenda's games on the new platform? She can set up some good featured slots for you—that'd be a nice way to return President Pei's favor."
Lin Wan shook her head. "No need. Those are all mobile games. The only mobile title we have is Ghost General, and its player base is already fixed. Promoting it won't make much difference."
Lin Chang said, "Well, it doesn't have to be a mobile game. You could always develop mobile versions of your other titles. Since we'd be giving you featured spots for free, why not make use of them?"
"I heard the mobile game market's booming lately, and Shenhua phones have tons of users. Those featured slots could be really valuable."
Huh?
Make a mobile version of another game?
A spark went off in Lin Wan's mind—and she suddenly realized something.
What was it President Pei said before?
"That depends on the timing," he said solemnly. "When the time is right, the turnaround will come naturally."
That was exactly right.
Why was the game underperforming now? Because the micro-client model just didn't fit the current market's timing.
Right now, browser games were steadily declining. Trying to pull off some revolutionary innovation in that space and reverse the trend was practically impossible.
But mobile games? That market was booming!
So what was "timing"?
The future—the rise of mobile games—that was the timing!
The Blood War Anthem: Enhanced Edition micro-client was 370 MB—painful for a browser game player, sure. But for mobile gamers?
Totally acceptable!
Nowadays, heavy mobile games were already reaching 200–300 MB, and players were still having a blast.
If they turned Blood War Anthem: Enhanced Edition into a mobile game, wouldn't that completely solve the micro-client issue?
Lin Wan's excitement surged. "Bro, that's it! I finally understand what President Pei meant!"
Lin Chang: "Huh?"
"Tell Lin Yu to reserve those mobile store recommendation slots for me! I'm going to find out right now how long it'll take to port the game to mobile!"
She hung up before he could respond and immediately called for a company meeting.
. . .
Shangyang Games—Conference Room
Once everyone had gathered, Lin Wan got straight to the point: "How long would it take to convert our game into a mobile version?"
The room fell silent.
Everyone stared blankly at her.
Port it to mobile?
Why turn it into a mobile game?
No one in this company had any experience developing for mobile…
They exchanged confused glances, unable to understand what on earth their director was thinking.
In the end, it was Wang Xiaobin who finally spoke up.
"Turning it into a mobile game… actually wouldn't be too difficult."
"There are already a few cases in the industry of browser games being converted to mobile. Since browser games don't demand much in terms of hardware, and mobile games are similar in that regard, we can pretty much port the client directly."
"Plus, our micro-client is already 370 MB—basically the same size as a mobile game. We won't even need to compress any assets. It's actually very convenient."
"The only problem is that browser games and mobile games have very different control schemes. Browser games use mouse clicks, while mobile games rely on touch input. So we'd have to adjust the control system and redesign the UI accordingly."
"And since none of us here have ever developed a mobile game before, if we really decide to go through with this, we'll need to study some of the current popular mobile titles to learn how they handle things."
"As for the timeline… if we all push ourselves, we could probably get it done in as little as two weeks—a month at most."
Lin Wan nodded, very satisfied with that answer.
That timeframe was totally manageable!
She cleared her throat and said, "Everyone, I have a bold idea."
"When I met with President Pei earlier, he told me our game was already good enough—we just needed to wait patiently for the right timing."
"And what is 'timing'? The decline of browser games and the rise of mobile games—that's timing!"
"President Pei was hinting that we should ride the trend. As long as we can catch the wave of the mobile game boom, how could our game not succeed?"
"Also, we can make it a dual-platform title."
"Once we convert it into a mobile game, players will be able to play on their phones and on PC with the micro-client—and if we make the data cross-compatible, that'll be a huge advantage!"
As Lin Wan painted this bright and exciting vision, the previously confused team members slowly began to understand.
It… actually made sense!
They hadn't thought about this direction before—mostly because of habitual thinking.
They had all been making browser games from the start, so no one had ever considered the idea of porting an existing game to mobile.
Blood War Anthem: Enhanced Edition already had excellent gameplay quality; the only real problem was that traditional browser players were too impatient to download a 370 MB client.
So why not just give up on traditional browser players altogether—and embrace mobile gamers instead?
In the browser game market, they didn't have much of an advantage. But if they entered the mobile space, suddenly the odds would shift in their favor!
And if the mobile version became popular, the cross-platform feature could then bring attention back to the browser version.
A perfect plan!
Ye Zhizhou was the first to nod. "I think it's worth trying! Converting it into a mobile game makes way more sense than splitting it into two micro-clients. This seems like the most solid direction we've had so far."
Wang Xiaobin agreed. "Yeah, exactly. We might not have mobile development experience, but mobile systems are simpler than browser ones. If we study hard and adapt our control scheme properly, it shouldn't be too difficult."
Lin Wan beamed. "Alright then, it's decided. The Blood War Anthem: Enhanced Edition browser-to-mobile conversion project officially begins!"
<+>
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