If Lin Chudong hadn't developed this game, Chunting Game Company would likely still be doing well.
But he had to resort to malicious competition, and now he was finished. He'd crossed Big Fei, and he was going to pay for it.
Cheng Huanhuan sent him a WeChat message.
**Cheng Huanhuan**: Big Fei, what's up with the new game? I played it for a bit—it's pretty fun. Why are you picking a fight with others?
**Lin Chudong**: I'm not! It's not me.
**Cheng Huanhuan**: Come on, it's totally you! Why didn't you invite me to play? Am I not a beauty?
**Lin Chudong**: You are, you are. But I need new faces. If the audience sees you and thinks of a rooster about to lay an egg, how can they get immersed?
**Cheng Huanhuan**: Hmph. I'm free these days. If things don't work out at CCTV, I might just come over to you.
**Lin Chudong**: ...Think about it carefully.
Lin Chudong would have loved to recruit the other female stars around him, but Cheng Huanhuan was different. She was a CCTV host. If he poached her, he might anger the station's leadership, and the consequences could outweigh the benefits.
Besides, what would he even have her do if she joined? Just sit around doing nothing?
Just as he'd finished dealing with Cheng Huanhuan, Lin Qiqi suddenly called, saying she was downstairs at the company building.
Lin Chudong quickly threw on his jacket and hurried down to meet her.
The moment Lin Qiqi got out of the car, she threw her arms around Lin Chudong.
"You stinky Big Fei, look what I brought you as a gift!"
She held up a small jar, which seemed to contain some kind of pickled vegetable.
Lin Chudong blinked in surprise. "What is it?"
"Close your eyes, I'll feed you one."
"Fine."
Lin Chudong closed his eyes. Lin Qiqi opened the jar, pinched out a piece with her fingers, and popped it into his mouth, covering his lips.
"No spitting!"
Lin Chudong chewed twice, and a wave of nausea immediately washed over him.
"Ugh..."
Lin Qiqi burst into laughter. "Haha! It's *zhe'ergen*! It's delicious!"
Lin Chudong was speechless.
"Please, just take it away."
"No way! You have to eat with me," Lin Qiqi insisted.
She popped a piece into her own mouth, then leaned forward and puckered her lips toward Lin Chudong.
"Kiss."
Lin Chudong's mouth twitched. The smell was even worse than garlic.
***
Lin Qiqi sat in Lin Chudong's office, playing a game for a while before pouting and saying, "Big Fei, when are you filming your next drama? When will we act together?"
Even though Lin Chudong's face didn't appear in the game, he was still acting opposite these women, which made Lin Qiqi intensely jealous.
Lin Chudong replied, "We're filming soon. What did Sister Song tell you?"
Lin Qiqi said, "Sister Song said that since you're now a major star, your salary can be nominal. You don't need to give me my usual cut—just give Sister Song three or four million as a token of appreciation."
Lin Chudong was taken aback. "Is that really okay? Did Sister Song agree to this?"
Lin Qiqi replied seriously, "Yes! That's exactly what Sister Song said."
"Alright then, I have a script. Let me tell you about it."
The two sat in the office discussing the script for a while. After hearing the plot, Lin Qiqi immediately grew dejected.
"We promised a romantic lead, but now I'm playing a couple on the verge of divorce? Can't we just do a sweet romance instead?"
Lin Chudong smiled. "Isn't this a test of your acting skills? Don't let me outshine you this time."
Lin Qiqi tilted her head, her face serious. "How could that be? You're my disciple. Come on, let's run through a short scene."
Lin Chudong nodded. Trying out a scene with Lin Qiqi seemed reasonable. He'd never tested the Emperor of Acting Halo before. What if there were any problems?
It was better to experiment now and be prepared for any unexpected situations on set.
"Qiqi, in this scene, you're the one telling me you want a divorce. You need to act cold, with a hint of impatience, while I try to hold onto you one last time, even though I've already decided to kill you."
Lin Qiqi nodded, closed the office door, and stood by the entrance. She turned around, instantly getting into character.
Her face turned icy as she looked at Lin Chudong and said, "I've already drafted the divorce agreement. Sign it as soon as possible."
Lin Chudong activated the Emperor of Acting Halo. An unprecedented wave of confidence surged from the depths of his heart.
When learning other things, he'd always felt knowledge flooding his mind or muscle memory entering his body.
This time, however, he felt nothing unusual, only a sudden surge of overwhelming confidence.
It was a confidence specifically in his acting, a conviction that whatever he performed must be correct.
*This halo is rather interesting,* Lin Chudong thought, sitting casually in his chair and idly fiddling with the objects on the desk. He spoke in a flat tone, "Must it be this way? In this world, no one will ever love you as I do."
A faint, cold smile played on Lin Chudong's lips, tinged with indifference and a hint of murderous intent.
Meanwhile, outside the office, Wang Zhi crept closer, peeking through the glass door. He hadn't intended to eavesdrop, but the conversation seemed... off.
As he neared the door, Lin Chudong's voice reached him: "I've given you everything. I have nothing left but you."
"As long as you don't leave me, I'll accept anything."
Lin Qiqi's gaze flickered away before she frowned slightly and spoke with resolve: "I don't love you anymore. Will you accept that too?"
Wang Zhi's eyes widened. *Holy shit, this is big news!*
***
"Do you think I still have a chance?"
Seeing the look in Lin Chudong's eyes, Lin Qiqi burst into laughter.
"Wow, you acted so well! You truly live up to being my disciple!"
Lin Chudong quickly deactivated his Emperor of Acting Halo. In just over two minutes, the system had deducted 30,000 yuan.
*Less than a minute counts as a full minute? You despicable system!*
Lin Qiqi's face lit up with delight. "When did your acting become so good? Even I'm impressed!"
She beamed with pride, as if Lin Chudong's acting prowess was entirely due to her guidance.
Lin Chudong smiled. "Isn't that because you taught me so well?"
"But there's one thing you didn't teach me properly."
"What's that?"
"Kissing scenes. I don't know how to do them."
Lin Qiqi's cheeks flushed crimson. "I've never done kiss scenes."
"Not doing them doesn't mean you can't, right? Maybe you could teach me?"
Lin Qiqi bit her lip, shifting nervously. "No way! Kiss scenes aren't even that technical."
Lin Chudong said, "You don't know how to act in kiss scenes, do you?"
Lin Qiqi glared at him. "Who said that? What scene can I *not* act?"
"I'm just saying, you can't act in kiss scenes."
"Nonsense! I'll show you!"
Lin Chudong shook his head. "Never mind, never mind. Don't force it if you can't."
"You little pest! You want to see? I'll show you how it's done!"
Lin Qiqi immediately sat on his lap, closed her eyes for a moment, and instantly got into character.
When she opened her eyes again, her expression had become deeply affectionate.
Her hands rested on Lin Chudong's shoulders as her lips slowly moved closer.
"Big Fei, that's not how you act in a kiss scene! You're too rough! You're squashing my nose!"
"Oh, right, let's try again."
"No, still not right! Why are you biting my lip? It'll look awful on camera! Again!"
"Big Fei, you're so stupid! Close your eyes! Keeping them open makes you look like a zombie rising from the dead."
"You little pest, you're getting naughty! I'm not talking to you anymore!"
***
The next morning, Lin Chudong arrived at the office.
Seeing him, Wang Zhi immediately stood up, his expression complicated.
"Brother Fei, are you alright?"
"I'm fine," Lin Chudong replied, his eyes still heavy with sleep from staying out too late with Lin Qiqi.
Wang Zhi, however, looked deeply concerned. He stepped forward, patted Lin Chudong on the shoulder, and said, "Brother Fei, no matter what happens, you have to stay strong. It's just a woman—there are plenty of fish in the sea, you know?"
Lin Chudong stared blankly. *Has Wang Zhi been taking the wrong medication?*
***
Chunting Game Company issued a statement:
*Explosive Hack: Three Kingdoms* is currently undergoing maintenance and will be relaunched after the updates are complete. The servers will be shut down 60 days after the relaunch.
Players who made in-game purchases will receive partial refunds based on a certain ratio. The final interpretation of these terms rests with the company.
This simple announcement triggered another wave of online backlash.
Most players never read the terms of service, clicking "Agree" without a second thought.
In reality, these agreements are full of traps. The final interpretation rests with Spring Court Company, meaning the game company can do whatever it wants.
For those who spent large sums, Spring Court will refund a portion to prevent them from causing trouble.
By giving 60 days' notice before shutting down the servers, they are technically following the rules and avoiding potential lawsuits.
As long as the game can be relaunched after the updates, they don't need to worry about legal action.
As for the updates? That's easy.
Remove all the combat and violence, leaving only farming tasks. The game will become a pure farming simulation.
Since the game is already doomed, they don't care about player reputation anymore. All that matters is passing the government's approval process.
At Spring Court Company, Fu Xiaochun glanced at the company's account, lit a cigarette, and sighed.
He hadn't expected the loss to be so devastating. With *Explosive Hack: Three Kingdoms* gone, the company had no reason to exist. No matter what new games they developed in the future, players would never buy them again.
The company's closure was inevitable. Fortunately, there was enough money in the account to pay the employees their salaries and leave a bit for himself.
Now, he had two options: start a new venture or find a leadership position at a major game company. With his skills, he could still make a comeback.
Fu Xiaochun called everyone to the conference room.
"Everyone, you're likely aware of what happened yesterday. The company was sabotaged by one of our employees. Starting today, you're all free to pursue your own paths."
"The company will close its doors in two months. You don't need to come to work during this time. Please see the Finance Department to collect this month's salary, and then you're free to go."
"As the owner, I failed to manage this company well. I apologize to all of you. I'm truly sorry."
"That's all. Go to the Finance Department to sign your resignation papers."
Everyone sighed and gradually headed to the Finance Department to finalize their departure procedures.
After yesterday's events, they had all anticipated this outcome.
They had tasted defeat before with *Dance Dance Revolution*, but they never expected this failure to be so complete.
As they collected their final paychecks, a few of them asked, "Have you thought about where to go next?"
"Not yet. This happened too suddenly, and President Fu's decision was so swift, he didn't even give us time to look for new jobs."
"What about Big Fei's company?"
"We could try, but they might not want us."
"Worth a shot. The conflict between Big Fei and the company has nothing to do with us employees. They wouldn't target us, would they? We're just workers."
"Yeah, let's give it a try. If that doesn't work out, we'll try somewhere else."
"..."
One by one, they left until only he remained in the vast office, surrounded by dozens of computers.
Fu Xiaochun turned on a computer and checked the game platform's sales rankings.
*Oh No! I've Been Surrounded by Beautiful Women!* had already secured the top spot on the weekly sales charts in the Chinese region, far ahead of the competition.
-----------------------
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