Chapter 18: Make Money! Make Lots and Lots of Money!
Bronya felt helpless.
Since the moment she arrived at miHoYo, people had been visiting the company one after another. First and foremost was an executive from the HOMU Game Platform. With a beaming smile and an eager expression, she looked at Bronya and respectfully handed over a contract.
"Miss Bronya, please do consider collaborating with us..."
Bronya looked at the woman in front of her, sighed, and pushed the contract back.
"I'm sorry, this isn't something I can decide. I am not the President of miHoYo, so I don't have that authority."
The HOMU Game Platform belonged to Anti-Entropy Entertainment. It had always been one of the top platforms in the gaming industry, occupying a status similar to Steam in Su Mu's previous life. However, unlike the "slacking" Lord Gaben, Anti-Entropy truly put effort into managing this platform. They had even established a HOMU Game Live streaming section based on the platform, where exclusive streaming rights were reserved for certain games.
The most impressive part was that the platform's in-house studio had already released *Path of HOMU 3*. When Su Mu first heard this news, he was astounded and praised Sovereign Welt for being truly legendary.
The woman before Bronya was there to discuss a partnership regarding *Getting Over It with Bennett Foddy*, specifically to have miHoYo sign over the exclusive streaming rights to their platform. As for how she knew that the so-called "Phantom Iron Game Studio" was a pseudonym for miHoYo... they clearly had their channels, and finding that out wasn't difficult.
Admittedly, the numbers on the contract were high enough to make even Bronya feel a bit tempted. However, she felt a slight internal resistance to this approach. She wanted more people to understand just how incredible the game Su Mu had created was. Currently, the popularity of *Getting Over It* was at its zenith, and more players would surely join in.
Signing over the exclusive streaming rights would indeed bring in a significant amount of capital—honestly, it might even earn them more than the actual sales of the game. But Bronya, through her high-intensity internet surfing, had noticed that many streamers with massive fanbases were already playing the game. Their "clout-chasing" was simultaneously providing the game with even more exposure; the heat was mutual. Once the HOMU Game Platform secured exclusive rights, the buzz surrounding *Getting Over It* on other platforms would drop significantly...
From the perspective of the HOMU Game Platform, seizing such a major hit and signing exclusive rights would undoubtedly attract many new viewers to download their streaming software—it was a guaranteed win. But it would inevitably affect the game's long-term reach.
Furthermore, it wasn't a decision Bronya could make alone. Therefore, she stated that she needed to consult with others in the company before giving an answer.
Afterward, many other streaming platforms followed suit, but Bronya sent them away with a temporary "we'll consider it." However, the consideration period was only until tomorrow. Streaming platforms weren't stupid; *Getting Over It* had just exploded in popularity, and securing exclusive rights now was when they stood to profit the most. Every day of delay meant potential lost revenue.
"Honestly... as the President, Kiana is out having an office romance at a time like this..."
Looking at the dozen or so business cards in front of her, Bronya felt a massive headache coming on! The President was no different from a hands-off manager. miHoYo barely had any staff to begin with, and now Kiana had made off with Su Mu, the most diligent worker. Didn't that mean all the company's affairs fell on Bronya's shoulders?
Thinking of this, Bronya somewhat irritably unlocked her phone. It was 6:30 PM, past working hours. But since Su Mu and Kiana hadn't shown their faces at the office, Bronya had every reason to suspect that the two of them had actually gone to one of those recommended themed hotels.
While she felt a bit bad about interrupting someone's date... no, Bronya didn't feel a shred of guilt. She deliberately wanted to make this call; ideally, if she heard any strange noises, she would have something to tease Kiana with later. She had worked hard all day; couldn't she have a little fun?
The call went through: "Hello? Manager Bronya? Is something wrong?"
Bronya said crossly, "Can't I call if nothing's wrong?"
Su Mu was stunned. He glanced at Kiana, who was currently looking at a menu. He and Kiana were waiting for someone at a Hunan restaurant; Kiana's friend was running late and told them to order first.
"Uh, did something happen?" Su Mu felt a bit strange, sensing that Bronya seemed angry.
Bronya replied, "No, it's just that when I think about how I worked at the office all day while the boss took the Game Director out on a date, I feel a bit of psychological imbalance."
Su Mu let out a bitter laugh. "It's not a date. I was just dragged along to play games. You've misunderstood."
Bronya began to scold him mercilessly: "Tell me, did you or did you not ditch your work to go out and play? Is the planning proposal finished? Even though *Getting Over It* achieved good results, if you become complacent because of it..."
Su Mu shrugged. What was with this strange sense of déjà vu, like being caught by a girlfriend? He didn't think she was jealous; after all, he and Bronya had only worked together for a few days, and he wasn't sure if she even liked him. Of course, Su Mu's favorability for her was maxed out—who could blame him? She was the "Big Duck." As a man, how could he not be moved by such a perfect Bronya?
Su Mu thought about it and replied, "In that case, how about next time we leave the boss at the office and sneak out to play together?"
Bronya was stunned. She hadn't expected Su Mu to say that.
"As the Game Director, leading the way in slacking off? Su Mu, do you have any self-awareness as a Director..."
"Are you going or not?"
"...I'm going."
Strangely, after agreeing to skip work and go out with Su Mu next time, Bronya's dissatisfaction seemed to lessen significantly.
"Right, I actually called you for something specific. It's quite urgent and needs an answer by tomorrow."
Bronya told Su Mu about the HOMU Game Platform and other streaming sites seeking exclusive rights.
"Sign it. Why wouldn't we?"
To her surprise, Su Mu gave Bronya an answer without even thinking about it.
"*Getting Over It* only has this peak level of popularity for a few days. Selling the exclusive rights now is entirely beneficial to us with no downsides," Su Mu explained patiently to Bronya. "The most crucial thing is that this game's lifespan is largely tied to streaming. Once more and more streamers clear the game, the popularity will naturally decline."
END OF CHAPTER